http://hccperspective.blogspot.

com November 2011

HORIZONS
HOUSATONI C COMMUNI TY COLLEGE
News
H & S
Opinions
A & E
Sports
Do You
Understand the
Flu Vaccine?
Occupy Wall
Street
Continues
Is Tigers
Time Up?
Occupy Movement Gains
Momentum
Facebook
Connection
Men in Pink
Tights?
2
Housatonic Students Seem to Break a National
Reading Trend 3
By Tom Cahill
STaff WriTer
Select CT IDs Now Available 4
By KaiTlyn Barra
STaff WriTer
More Than a Teacher 5
By Chad fiSher
STaff WriTer
Healthy Living Club at HCC 5
By Chad fiSher
STaff WriTer

Veterans Oasis Center 6
By aShley STephen
STaff WriTer
Melting Pot Spirit Alive at HCC 6
By auSTin Vaughn
STaff WriTer
Welcome to the Mad House: The HCC Parking
Garage 7
By Jay lederman
STaff WriTer
HCC: A School of Opportunities 7
By BoBBi BroWn
Senior STaff WriTer
You Dont Know What Youre Missing at the
Library 8
By SamanTha delgado
STaff WriTer
Cougar Couples: A Different Perspective 8
By laura guSTafSon
STaff WriTer
Are the Protests Spreading throughout the
Country a Sign of a Nation In Chaos? 9
By daVe Weidenfeller
STaff WriTer
I Love You, but I Want to Choke You with a
Turkey Leg! 10
By aShley Welfare
STaff WriTer
Become A Better Student 10
By JaSon l. SToVer
STaff WriTer
Alcohol and College Students 12
By aShley CampBell
STaff WriTer
Im Every Woman! Early Detection of Breast
Caner Saves Lives 12
By roBBi BroWn
Senior STaff WriTer
Childhood Obesity vs Fast Food Monopolies 13
By JameS harloW
STaff WriTer
A Touch of the Flu Understanding the
Flu Vaccine 13
By mary e. anderSon
STaff WriTer
Family Connections: Facebook Connects the
Disconnected! 14
By BoBBi BroWn
Senior STaff WriTer
What Happened to All the Jobs? 14
By eriC SWanSon
STaff WriTer
Underwear on Display: Fashion or Foe? 15
By mary e. anderSon
STaff WriTer
Popular TV Shows Among HCC Students16
By lauren WeinSToCK
STaff WriTer
Who Dropped the Soap? 16
By SamanTha delgado
STaff WriTer
Ballet Eloelle Presents: Men in Pink Tights 18
By loVanda daVa BroWn
ediTor-i n-Chief
Possible Extensions for MLB Players 19
By TJ malliCo
STaff WriTer
MLB Trade Deadline Winners/Losers 19
By T.J. malliCo
STaff WriTer
Is Tigers Time Up? 20
By ChriS galli
STaff WriTer
Contents
H
o
r
i
z
o
n
s
Horizons Staff


Editor-in-Chief
Lovanda Dava Brown

Advisor
Prof. Steve Mark
News and Outrach Editor
Deb Torreso
Opinions Editor
Jennifer Claybrook

Sprts Editor, Editor-at-Large
T.J. Mallico
Web Developer
Adam Bello

Reporters
Mary Anderson
Kaitlyn Barra
Mark Bein
Tom Cahill
Ashley Campbell
Tamirah Collins
Mohammed Dafalla
Samantha Delgado
Chad Fisher
Chris Galli
Laura Gustafson
James Harlow
Darren Harris
Chris Heun
Vanessa Hylton
Keri-Ann Jackson
Isaiah Jefferson
Jay Lederman
Andrew Mathieu
Janette McClure-Kuhn
Raul Rodriguez
Sam Rosoff
Ashley Stephen
Jason Stover
Eric Swanson
Austin Vaughn
Ashley Welfare
Dave Weidenfeller
Lauren Weinstock

Graphic Design Staff

Design Advisor
Andy Pinto

Design Directors:
Sharon Poplaski
Zachary Cowan
Michael Kelly
Design Staff
Daniel Bourque
Vera Cotrim
Samantha Dankulich
Romar Edwards
Sergio Escobar
Cassondra Fama
Lauren Hartlett
Carol Humbert
Tammy McMichael
Cassandra Mendoza
Alyssa Poplaski
Abelardo Pulido
Jean Salomon
Nicole Strazza

3
HORIZONS News
ews
By Tom Cahill
STaff WriTer

W
e college students catch a bad
rap when it comes to our read-
ing habits. Almost half of
Americans between ages 18 and 24 nev-
er read books for pleasure, is what The
Boston Globe had to say about it. Theres
no question that there is a heavy amount
of reading required for classes, but how
much are students really reading? When
school work is put aside, is reading for lei-
sure still an option?
'There`s a gap leIt unflled iI too much
time passes without reading, says Shawn
Mando, 22, a criminal justice major here at
Housatonic. He admits to his guilty plea-
sure of xbox and the Call of Duty series,
but explained that hed choose a war-book
over a war-video game any day. When
my schedule opens up more, I try to make
it a habit to read a new novel every week
or so, he added.
Although Mandos reading habits are
regular, he still joined the overall campus
consensus that most college students dont
read too often in their free time. Whats
interesting is that even those who read
most, still doubt that it is a majority prac-
tice. I feel like I am the only one of my
friends who really reads, said Christina
Whitman, 20, a freshman at Housatonic.
It actually turns out that most students are
not unalike. Even though it occupied a
lesser portion of their time, a high percent-
age of Housatonic students admit to read-
ing for fun. In three of my classes alone, I
posed a quick question at the beginning of
class. How many of you guys read some-
thing outside of school work on a daily
basis? Every single hand went up in each
class. Without taking a step out of my
own classes, thats 63 students = with a
100% ratio of those who read because they
want to, not because they have to.
According to a national study in The
Boston Globe, The number of 17-year-
olds who never read for pleasure increased
from 9 percent in 1984 to 19 percent in
2004. The article also stated, only 30
percent of 13-year-olds read almost every-
day.
You may presume that those students
who dont read as often do so simply be-
cause reading is something that they do not
enjoy. Surprisingly that didnt seem to be
the case for many students. Joe Theriault
and Mark Dargon agreed simultaneously,
I dont read as much as I like to because
I just dont have enough time. Still both
read daily, not as much as theyd like to,
and a majority of it on the Internet.
Does checking MLB.com regularly
count?, Dargon asked jokingly, telling me
that the majority of his textual consump-
tion is sports news on websites. Thank
god for the Iphone, Theriault chimed
in. Reading is still
reading, whether it
is on paper or plas-
ma, right?
Many of us are
right on the cusp of
that technology de-
pendence, kids who
grew up with more
books than video
games. Among students interviewed on
and off campus, in comparison, video
games were actually the least owned by
students, followed by computers, books
and TVs respectively.
This may go without saying, but
reading as a hobby seems to help me so
much when it comes to my text books for
school, Vanessa Karcher,19, an HCC stu-
dent and avid reader. I am into murder-
mystery books, books that always keep
me thinking, she explained, it is much
easier when its a topic that interests you,
but the practice makes reading material I
am not so much interested in a little bit
easier.
'A steady reading habit defnitely cor-
relates to better understanding with my
school books, Victor Santana agreed.
Santana is a Housatonic graduate now fn-
ishing his Bachelors in History at South-
ern Connecticut State University. My
reading habits were poor in high school, as
were my grades, Santana said. I made a
conscious effort to change that during my
college career and my grades have made
the change accordingly. Whether or not
increased reading is to attribute solely I
dont know, but I dont believe its a co-
incidence. Now were getting closer to
the subject in question here. So weve
established that many Housatonic students
read, excellent, but why does this matter?
In the book, Academically Adrift: Lim-
ited Learning on College Campuses (Uni-
versity of Chicago Press) by a professor
at New York University and another at the
University of Virginia, it argues nation-
ally that students study/reading habits
have been steadily declining over the last
half-century. They tell us that students,
on average, went from studying 25 hours
a week in 1961 to only 14 hours a week
currently. Not only did this book doubt
our college readers, they also convey a
theory from a direct result of depleting
study habits. The authors followed 2,300
undergraduates at two dozen universities,
and concluded that 45 percent demonstrat-
ed no signifcant gains in critical thinking,
analytical reasoning, and written commu-
nications during the frst two years oI col-
lege.
To think critically is to not passively
listen, but to listen/read and think actively.
It isnt unfathomable that exercising your
mind constantly with reading will enhance
your ability of understanding, is it? The
more we read, the better we study and
learn. Anne E. Cunningham and Keith E.
Stanovich explain this in their article What
Reading Does for the Mind as a rich get
richer, poor get poorer concept. The con-
cept applies to all benefts oI reading. 'It
is agreed that comprehension ability and
reading volume are in a reciprocal rela-
tionship, Cunningham and Stanovich
explained. The same article states that
someone who reads an hour a day will
read 4,358,000 words in a year, where as
someone who reads only 15 min a day will
only read 1,148,000 words that year.
The newspaper is how I get my read-
ing done, says Ryan Basque, 21, of Gate-
way Community College. Ill be honest,
I basically just scan my text books, and
Im not too big on novels. The news in-
terests me, Ill read the newspaper front to
back whenever I can.
In an intricate study done again by
Cunningham and Stanovich, in a system
of ranking the 86,741 word forms in Eng-
lish by frequency of occurrence in a large
corpus of written English, it showed
that newspapers show 68.3 rare words
per 1000. Adult books and prime time
adult shows were only 52.7 and 22.7 rare
words per 1000 respectively. (Childrens
books rank higher than adult television at
30.9 rare words.)
When national statistics can be con-
cerning, only a third of high school se-
niors read at a profcient level, and pro-
fcient is not a high standard, according
to MSNBC, it is a breath of fresh air to
see these this stereotype challenged here
at home.
So hats off to you Housatonic. If the
numbers were to apply to our school as
well, I should have found that only about
half of the students that I spoke with would
have been reading for fun, and that is cer-
tainly not the case. The benefts oI reading
are evident, knowledge is power. If this
trend remains steady and true, Housatonic
will continue to be an academic power-
house.
Housatonic Students Seem to Break a National
Reading Trend
The number of 17-year-olds who
never read for pleasure increased from
9 percent in 1984 to 19 percent in
2004.
Got some news you want covered?
Let us know!
Write to housatonichorizons@gmail.com.
4
HORIZONS News
By KaiTlyn Barra
STaff WriTer
T
his month, the Connecticut Depart-
ment of Motor Vehicles (DMV)
will start a new program to offer
identity protection to people renewing
driver license and identifcation cards.
According to the DMV, this is only done
on applicants for new licenses or ID cards.
The department will ask renewing cus-
tomers whether they want to show original
identity documents to create a record for
their identity with the agency as well as for
Iederal identifcation purposes.
However, they can also reject this veri-
fcation and just get a regular driver`s li-
cense or ID card . Many people do not
know about this program since it just
started October 3rd but everyone should
defnitely look into it because it is good
for identity theft.
Through the program, called SelectCT
ID, people verifying will get a gold star
on the license or ID card. Those declining
will have one stamped Not for Federal
Identifcation. The DMV reports that the
difference could be extra screening under
a proposed federal program slated to go
into effect in 2017 for airports and federal
buildings and also use for possible com-
mercial transactions. The program stems
from national security measures and fed-
eral identifcation standards resulting Irom
the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in the
U.S. It is also designed to offer residents
additional protection against identity theft
by having a historical record of proven
original identity documents shown to
DMV.
People wanting a license or ID card
indicating their identity was verifed by
DMV will need to present certain original
documents like a birth certifcate, a valid
U.S. passport or other primary documents,
proof of name changes including as a re-
sult of marriage, divorce, etc. as well as of
current address.
Some people seem to agree that this is a
good idea. It will help with identity theft
and protect people more. I am defnitely
considering getting it, said Tracy, 41, of
Milford.
Select CT IDs Now Available
Corrections for Issue 1:
The Horizons staff would like to extend an apology for any inaccuracies in articles published in Issue 1. These issues are
found in but not limited to the following pieces:
Tutoring at HCC:
Correction: Tutoring services are offered here at HCC during the following times:
Monday-Thursday at 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Friday from 9 a.m to 4 p.m
Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Also, the Academic Support Center only schedules appointments for tutoring services in person. You must go to room B116
in Lafayette Hall to schedule an appointment. To cancel or reschedule an appointment already made, please contact the front
desk at (203) 332-5019.
Who Dropped the Soap:
Segments of this article were misplaced during hnal lavout. Please turn to the Arts and Entertainment section to read Sa-
mantha Delgados full article.
5
HORIZONS News
More Than a Teacher
Healthy Living Club at HCC
By Chad fiSher
STaff WriTer
A
s students left room 219s Friday
morning English class on October
14, they looked as though they
had just witnessed a gruesome death or
perhaps a catastrophe which had forever
changed the world as they knew it.
Though these assumptions would seem
very likely, the truth is, they had just
fnished taking adjunct instructor Cindy
Wolfe Boyntons midterm exam. Who
wouldnt be happy about that?
Boynton is an Adjunct Instructor of
English and Journalism at Housatonic and
Yale University.
Sitting down with Boynton on that Fri-
day morning, just six days before her big
performance, the realization became clear,
she is much more than a teacher.
No, not for any similarities to smell,
appearance, or the fact she made her Fri-
day morning students cry, but rather for
her many deep layers. These layers con-
sist of a teacher, a wife, a mother of two, a
caregiver to her parents, a friend to many,
and so much more the list could go on
forever.
There are so many titles you could give
to an individual such as Boynton, but the
most amazing might arguably be her re-
cently added title of Broadway actress af-
ter only a few months of training.
With the help of friends Jan Mason,
Geoffrey Sheehan, Mike Boland, Brenda
Jacobson, acting coach Reno Venturi, the
United Solo Festival, and her supportive
family, Boynton has successfully written
and performed her own play on Broadway.
The play is calle Right Time to Say I
Love You, and it holds a very special place
in Boyntons heart.
Ive told other peoples stories my
whole life through journalism. Now I want
to tell my own, she said.
Boynton was adopted by Barbra and
Edward Wolfe and has known them as her
parents her entire life. She was raised in
Milford and still resides there to this day.
Boynton says growing up she was given
everything she ever wanted and was very
happy.
One of the things I remember most,
and I talk about this in my play, is having
a white canopy bed which no other girl in
school had, she said.
As Boynton grew up, she became very
interested in writing. When she was still in
high school, she pursued her frst journal-
ism job at the Milford Citizen.
'I worked with Cindy when she frst
started out at the Milford Citizen. She was
willing to do anything in order to succeed
in journalism. She never ceased to amaze
me with her talent and perseverance, said
Deb Noack, Boyntons former co-worker
at the Milford Citizen.
Since then, Boynton has worked for the
New York Times and Boston Globe. She
has also worked for other publications and
done some public relations work as well.
When viewing her resume, anyone can see
how talented and versatile she truly is.
Boyntons college includes attending
HCC and Southern Connecticut State Uni-
versity, graduating in May of 1994. She
majored in English and won an award for
fction writing. She did all oI this while
maintaining a 3.5 GPA.
Though she has accomplished so much
throughout her life, Boynton, at the age of
43, felt the yearning for a new challenge.
After reading the book Just Kids by Patti
Smith, where it is stated it is not hard to
write a play, Boynton felt a play would be
the direction of her next accomplishment.
It is a great book, you would be in-
spired too, she added.
With her newly found inspiration, she
decided to take her recent liIe`s conficts
and creatively turn them into a solo per-
formance.
I am a part of the sandwich genera-
tion, Boynton added.
According to Websters Dictionary,
The Sandwich Generation is a group of
around 20 million Americans who are, like
a sandwich, in a place between the needs
of their children and their aging parents.
In the previous years, Boyntons moth-
er had developed Parkinsons disease and
has needed a lot of care. Parkinsons dis-
ease, according to medical dictionaries,
is a degenerative disease, which attacks
the central nervous system. This causes
the person with the disease to lose their
ability to function normally at times. This
includes the movement of arms and legs
among other things.
With her Iather aging and fnding it hard
to care for just himself, Boynton willingly
took the role of her mothers care giver.
Spending many sleepless nights at her par-
ent`s house, she was fnding it harder each
day to be away from her husband, Ted and
sons Teddy, 17, and Steven, 13.
This experience would be the focus of
her play. Once Boynton became less busy
with her parents, she went to work on writ-
ing it out.
I really wanted to create something
good out of my sandwich, experience in-
stead of destruction, said Boynton.
For the next eight months, she would
spend time writing her play and eventu-
ally submit it to The United Solo Festival
at Theatre Row in New York City, a festi-
val for solo performances which receives
thousands of applicants per year.
I am not new to writing, but I am new
to writing plays and performing them. I
didn`t expect to be accepted in my frst ap-
plication, said Boynton.
Knowing she had less than six months
to prepare for the performance, she en-
listed the help of a few friends and well
known acting coach Reno Venturi.
This is a major feat for someone as
new to acting as Cindy, said Venturi,
who has been a culmination of an actor,
director and acting coach for 49 years.
It is hard for a new actor to come in and
perform any play, let alone a play of their
actual life experiences. A lot of the time,
because it is something they experienced
in their own life, it is hard for the actor
to realize the audience isnt seeing what
they see. Every word and every movement
needs to show emotion.
Boynton and Venturi decided to meet
three times a week up until the day before
her scheduled performance. Boynton also
recorded herself performing the play and
would watch it a few times a day in an at-
tempt to perfect it.
It was hard work, but [Boynton] is
ready, said Venturi, two days before the
October 20 performance.
The countdown was on 48 hours un-
til show time. Boynton seemed cool and
calm , carrying on with life in her normal
routine of teaching classes, taking classes,
and caring for her family.
But an hour before show time brought
a different story.
I looked at the clock when it said I
had an hour before I would perform and
I started to feel sick said Boynton. I be-
gan reciting my lines very quickly. Before
I knew it, it was show time.
Later, Boynton stepped on stage and
did her 40-minute performance, with the
crowd laughing and sighing at the up and
down struggle she portrayed while in the
spotlight. The music turned on, lights went
down and the room eruptedwith clapping
and cheering.
After the show, everyone met on the
second foor lounge to wait Ior her. She
came out and the claps erupt again. She
was greeted by her husband, sons, sister
and friends some who traveled from as
far as Washington D.C. and New Hamp-
shire.
Boynton proudly sat next to her hus-
band on the lounge couch. They talked
about whether or not she looked nervous
on stage. I could tell you were nervous,
said, her husband, Ted, jokingly. She gave
him a little slap on the head, but smiled
at him. She was glowing with confdence
and sheer happiness from the fact she per-
formed so well.
However, Boyntons break will be short
lived with another show in November.
With all of her accomplishments,
Boynton wants everyone to see her life as
a single statement:
You really can do anything you set
your mind to.
Have questions or comments about
this article? Tweet the author @Chadwin_
Fisher
The best comparison could be to an onion.
By Chad fiSher
STaff WriTer

E
very year many people make a
resolution to work out more, eat
better and generally live healthier.
But every year, they most often lose their
drive along the way.
The Housatonic Community College
Healthy Living Club is here to help, say
co-advisors Jennifer Falasco and Janice
SchaeIfer.
Though in the United States obesity
rates are higher than ever and diabetes
is more common among adults and chil-
dren, the general population does show a
desire to live healthier. This is the reason
supplement companies gross $25 billion
annually. But what if people could live
healthier without throwing all their money
at the supplement industry, fad diets, and
overpriced workout plans?
You can if you become a part of the
Housatonic Community College Healthy
Living Club.
The Club will help people live health-
ier through nutritionists, yoga instructors,
and more. It is open to anyone who is a
student at HCC.
The greatest part about this is while ev-
erything seems to drain peoples life sav-
ings nowadays, but this club is free. Just
take one hour a week to go to a meeting
and students can start making their way
towards better health.
The way the Healthy Living club plans
to bring people together is by spreading
the word of good health.
According to a fyer that was given out
on club day, the club plans to share healthy
recipes, learn more about improving over-
all health, institute daily walks around
campus, and even go on hikes around
Connecticut.
Falasco and SchaeIfer say the club will
also be bringing in a nutritionist sometime
in January to give a lecture. This lecture
will potentially be open to non-members
as well as members.
The club will also be at the Health Fair
which will be held by the HCC Womens
Center. Currently there is no set date for
the fair, according to Linda Bayusik, HCC
activities coordinator.
The club is planning to make not only
the members aware of health, but also the
rest of the campus. They will do this by
potentially making distance markings out-
side for people who want to walk, post cal-
ories for foods in the cafeteria, and maybe
even by putting up signs to encourage tak-
ing the stairs instead of the elevator.
They are also open to suggestions at
every meeting.
The meetings are every Tuesday at 1
p.m. in room 317A Beacon Hall.
Cant come to meetings because you
have a conficting schedule? That`s alright,
you can still join. Contact the club through
their FaceBook page listed below and they
will keep you posted about events.
To see more like their FaceBook
page @ Housatonic Community College
Healthy Living Club.
Have questions or comments about
the article? Tweet the author @Chadwin_
Fisher
6
HORIZONS News
By aShley STephen
STaff WriTer
S
ome say that veterans of the United
States Military are a different breed.
Whether two veterans served side
by side or not they will always have a
companionship that isnt understood by
anyone who isnt military. Coming back
into the civilian world is not an easy tran-
sition for most veterans, especially when
trying to fgure out what they are going to
do with the rest of their lives. Going back
to school is always an option thanks to
their military background and nowadays
trying to fnd a job without any schooling
is a daunting task.
Here at HCC we do our best to support
this transition for our veterans with offer-
ing all of the Montgomery GI Bill options
and tuition waivers that are allowed in the
state of Connecticut. Yet Housatonic felt
as if they could do more and decided to
open the Veterans Oasis Center, a place
where veterans could come to relax, share
their trials & tribulations and help one an-
other if needed.
'When I frst decided to come back
to school I felt very alone because I was
older then most of the students and my
life experiences were very different. After
spending time with other Vets that I had
met in the Veterans Oasis Center, my tran-
sition was much easier and I felt more at
ease with my surroundings, says Christo-
pher LaBrecque, U.S. Navy.
The Veterans Oasis Center opened
up at HCC in October of 2008 and since
then has been utilized daily by a number
of different veterans from all branches of
the military and other students are always
welcomed. Items such as couches, a TV,
and kitchen items have all been donated
from many different companies in which
the Veterans representative reached out
to. Letters to companies are sent out at he
beginning of every semester in hope of be-
ing able to add more items to the center
which is located in B101.
The Veterans Oasis Center has al-
lowed me to socialize and interact with
other people whove gone through similar
situations as me, says Omar Jimenez, Na-
tional Guard
Veterans have been extremely appre-
ciative of the center and the work put in by
the school to make life here at HCC easier
for them and their dreams more attainable.
Without the Veterans Center I would
be disappointed because it would have
made fnding other Vets to talk to more
diIfcult. We enjoy each other`s company
and it helps our days go smoother, says
Sylvie Papageorge, Army and National
Guard.
Veterans Oasis Center
By auSTin Vaughn
STaff WriTer
T
he Great American Melting Pot is
a term used to describe the blend-
ing of cultures, races, and peoples
within the United States. The US has al-
ways been a country made up of immi-
grants, Irom the frst English settlers at
Jamestown in 1607 to the new immigrants
that enter our nation everyday. These peo-
ple of varied origins, homes, beliefs, and
ideals are an important part of our national
identity transforming our culture, ideas,
and identity as Americans. Our country is
continually growing and changing thanks
to the differences that everyone brings
whether they are a national or an immi-
grant, and the Melting Pot spirit is still
alive and well here at Housatonic.
After noticing the diversity of accents
among many of the students at Housa-
tonic, this reporter decided a look into
the lives of Housatonics international
students could give insight into the lives
of immigrants around America, and an
understanding of the evolution of ever
changing American life and culture.
Obrian Wright is a 27-year-old Physical
Therapy major here on a student visa from
Jamaica. Wright is staying with relatives
who live in Bridgeport and chose Housa-
tonic for its affordability, location, and
international student accommodations.
[In Jamaica] There arent many jobs,
says Wright, and most of them are under-
paid. He says a couple of people work to
support the family and the others pick up
odd jobs to supplement the income when
needed. Wright earned a business degree
at a university in Jamaica but was only
able to fnd work as a salesman making
basic commission. Our needs are always
met, Wright said, and we all have luxu-
ries such as Playstations and televisions.
He even proceeded to show me his two ac-
tive smart-phones, an iPhone and Black-
berry Torch. Wright said between the in-
comes of the continually working family
members, the money from odd jobs, and
ruminants, a term for money sent from
other family members living abroad in
places like the US and Europe, the people
of Jamaica live comfortably.
Allen Petit Homme, a 30-year-old ex-
marine from Haiti, is another Housatonic
student from abroad. He immigrated with
his father and stepmother to New York
City in 1999, and the family proceeded to
move to Bridgeport within the next year.
After attending the University of Bridge-
port for a couple of years, Petit Homme
left and served in the Marine Corps for six
years. He is now work-
ing towards a criminal
justice degree. Petit
Homme chose HCC in
order to stay close to
his family in Bridge-
port before heading to
the University of Con-
necticut for graduate
school. He says his
father and stepmother
send some money back
home to Haiti every
now and then, but he
is fnancially unable to
send any himself. Petit
Homme was unable to
make any sort of com-
parison from the US to
Haiti economically, but
he considers the US his
home now and loves
the opportunities it pro-
vides him.
HCC student Jose
Ramos, while neither
an immigrant nor an in-
ternational student, has
had quite a time adjust-
ing to life in America.
Ramos was fve years old when he frst
moved to Bridgeport from Puerto Rico
with his mother and younger brother Lou-
is. Ramos mother moved to Bridgeport
to be close with her father, who lived in
Connecticut since the 1980s, and started a
career as a hairstylist. Ramos describes his
family, both here and in Puerto Rico, as
extremely close and says his family here
talks with his family in Puerto Rico about
every other day. This extreme close-
ness with his family abroad and curiosity
about his other home led Ramos to move
back to Puerto Rico when he was 12. He
stayed with his other set of grandparents
and worked part time on his uncles farm
while continuing in middle school and
starting high school.
Ramos describes Puerto Rico as coun-
try and said there was land available
to own. He also stated that landscaping
work, such as what he did on his uncles
farm, was big for teenagers and young
adults while going to school. Ramos said
the schools in Puerto Rico were much
harder at frst. Teaching was done at a
much faster pace, and he had to get used to
Spanish as his primary language. He said
the teachers would use repetition to drill
it into you, and they fostered an intense
spirit of academic competition. Ramos
said he loved Puerto Rico for its calm en-
vironment and that it was like its own
country.
However, at the age of 15, Ramos
moved back to Bridgeport for a better
education and career opportunities. He
attended Bassick High School in Bridge-
port, where he graduated in 2009. During
late 2008 and early 2009, Ramos lived in
the Bronx with his aunt while still com-
muting to Bassick for school. He worked
for Fed Ex as well, but he described the
environment as hectic and the Bronx as
a place to party, not to live. Ramos then
moved back to Bridgeport as he fnished
high school in mid-2009, but his family
was soon broken by the loss of their patri-
arch in January 2010, his grandfather who
had brought them to Bridgeport. He said
it made the family stick closer together
but caused many of them to move back
to Puerto Rico, including his aunt in the
Bronx. In January 2011, Ramos began tak-
ing classes here at HCC. He said he felt it
was a good starting point, a good place
to see what college is like. He is current-
ly in human services and plans on trans-
ferring to a university nearby after gradu-
ating next winter. Ramos says he misses
Puerto Rico and his family, mainly his
Grandmas cooking! He and his Con-
necticut Iamily fy back to Puerto Rico
when they can for a little taste of family
and home.
Melting Pot Spirit Alive at HCC
Illustrations by Vera Cotrim
7
HORIZONS News
By Jay lederman
STaff WriTer
T
he six-story, concrete asylum tow-
ering over our campus sits in si-
lence, waiting to commit its next
victim. You might not consider it anything
other than a place to park your car while
youre sitting in class. But for some stu-
dents the narrow gaps of the HCC parking
garage are terrifying.
The parking garage is an absolute
danger zone, says Tiffany Morriar
Students who are walking in the garage
often hear the familiar sound of screeching
tires that send shivers down your spine.
Whether youre entering or exiting the
stairwells in the parking garage at some
point you may feel susceptible to being
run over by a speeding car. Morriar, who
has had many close calls inside the night-
marish halls of the parking garage, refers
to one incident in particular that could
have ended tragically.
I was walking to the stairwell on
the frst foor, when a car came swerv-
ing around the corner and literally almost
hit me. To make matters worse, Morriar
says, the person was speeding, and tex-
ting on their phone, completely unaware
that they could have hit her. I was highly
upset, she added. Although unharmed,
Morriar agrees the parking garage is ex-
tremely unsafe for students who are walk-
ing through it.
General Studies major Carlashia Hard-
en uses the parking garage on a daily ba-
sis. One day while searching for a park-
ing space she noticed a student who was
backing out of a spot, and seized her op-
portunity. As she patiently waited for the
vehicle to begin backing out Harden was
barraged with an attack of verbal abuse
from the driver behind her. Like so many
students Harden fell victim to the erratic
behavior that is often displayed inside the
bowels of the concrete beast.
There was another car behind me, and
the guy in the car started screaming at me
to get out of the way, I was a little scared
and shaken, she said.
Carlashia became very uncomfortable
as the screaming behind her continued.
What are you doing? Get out of the way!
the voice behind her shouted. She became
so concerned that the situation would es-
calate she wondered why security oIfcers
were not present to witness the individuals
ridiculous behavior I didnt know what
was going on with the security at that mo-
ment, and it kind of frightened me, but I
got over it, she added.
It`s Carlashia`s frst semester here at
Housatonic, and she has learned a valu-
able lesson. If you commute to school or
use the parking garage your eventually go-
ing to experience a traIfc jam during peek
hours.
Dean of Adminstration Ralph Tyler de-
clined to comment about the safety con-
cerns inside the parking garage. It has
been a career practice of mine that I do not
grant or participate in interviews with any
form of media services, he said.
Master Sargent Christopher K. Gough,
who has been the Director of Public Safety
at Housatonic for over 9 years, offered his
perspective on the problem.
Our biggest problem with the parking
garage is start times, getting people in and
out, theres one way in and one way out,
he said. A start time basically means the
time in which classes start. According to
Gough,, high volume start times are from
9 a.m.-11:00 a.m and 2 p.m.-5 p.m. Two
security oIfcers are present in the garage
during normal campus hours. Enforcing
the speed limit in the garage is no easy
task. In some instances security may not
be able to issue verbal warnings to every
person who is speeding.
But students can still get caught. During
the interview Gough nonchalantly clicked
on a computer screen near his desk, which
displayed videos of every single angle in
the parking garage; including both north
and south stairwells as well as inside the
elevators. He concluded by saying That
parking garage is a privilege, not a right.
We can suspend your parking privileges if
need be.
Perhaps there are a few simple things
students can begin doing to create a more
enjoyable experience in the parking ga-
rage. Drive slower. Make it a habit to be
more aware when driving in the parking
garage, and understand people are walk-
ing in between cars, out of stairwells, and
exiting their vehicles. Dont use your cell
phone inside the parking garage while
youre driving. Its a known fact that it
can lead to fatal accidents. Be on time,
every seasoned student knows the earlier
you show up the less of a hassle it will be
to park your car. Do not pull into the frst
space you see. You will not get to class any
faster, and youll just end up adding more
stress to the already overwhelming traIfc
jam created inside the garage. Instead park
on higher levels frst flling the garage
from top to bottom. Dont feel like walk-
ing down all those fights oI stairs? Use
the elevators. Thats why theyre there. If
we all remember to do these simple things,
parking in the garage would be less of a
nightmare.
Until then Ill see all of you on the
'battlefeld that we call, the HCC park-
ing garage.
Welcome to the Mad House: The HCC Parking
Garage
By BoBBi BroWn
Senior STaff WriTer
H
eather Walker graduated from
Harding High school after not
getting accepted into the four year
college of her choice. Nonetheless, she
was still encouraged to continue her edu-
cation.
She signed up for HCC and joined
the nursing program. Although this is
the start of her future, she is glad she is
in school and looks forward to transfer-
ring and hopefully getting accepted to
the school of her choice. Like Walker,
many students have felt the heart break
of not getting into their dream school or
may have never thought about attending
college for whatever reason. HCC is a
school of possibilities and opportunities
that gives hope and a second chance to
students who missed out on the frst one.
When I got my letter of rejection
from the school I worked so hard to get
in, I broke down and cried, says Walker.
This really discouraged me, but this
didnt stop me! I went and signed up for
HCC, |and| came to fnd out that HCC
is a really good school and my dream
[didnt] have to stop there, she adds.
HCC has been an establishment since
1966, and has educated thousands of stu-
dents. Students from all kinds of ethnic
backgrounds, races, and religions attend
HCC. HCCs mission statement located
on its oIfcial website states that the mis-
sion is to strive to be sensitive to stu-
dents with diverse backgrounds, needs,
and goals.
I was amazed at how HCC embraced
me and how HCCs staff welcomed me
when I needed help. I am Muslim and
what I wear may seem
unappealing to some peo-
ple, says Aalia Ghahem,
an Early Childhood ma-
jor at HCC.
If I can be honest,
some people look at me
like I am a terrorist or
something, but that will
not stop my love for
children. I never thought
about going to college,
[and] I felt I was not pre-
pared or would not ft in,
she adds.
However the world
may set limits on some-
ones goals or dreams,
HCC breaks those limits. HCC has over a
hundred different programs for students
who may be frst time students, and Ior
returning or transfer students. HCC has
degree and certifcate programs, con-
tinuing education (non credit programs),
and even transfer credit programs. HCC
somehow or another picks up where oth-
ers school left off with most students.
When students frst come to HCC,
they are asked to take the aAccuplacer
test which helps HCC as well as its as-
piring students to know where they stand
as far as what they know. This test does
not judge whether or not a student is
smart or isnt, but it focuses on where
students are, and places them in the cor-
rect classes for the semester.
[Im] not going to lie, I thought I
was really dumb when I took the test to
get into HCC, but the test showed me
areas where I needed to improve, says
Sara Gomes, a nursing major at HCC.
I agree, I was ashamed at what I
didnt know but I got over that and
worked my tail off until I made the
deans list, say Cory Johnson, a student
at HCC.
'|During| the frst semester at another
school, I had a full scholarship but they
kinda told me I had to leave because my
grades had dropped. I was really en-
joying the college life and kind of got-
ten carried away with it and my grades
started to refect it, says Jose Josephs, a
computer science major.
I regret what I did with my educa-
tion, and HCC has really helped me get
back on track. Im really proud of myself
because I was given one more chance
and I am taking full of advantage of that
here at HCC, he adds.
HCC has given many students a sec-
ond chance to really get themselves
together and start all over again. HCC
ensures students will get the same edu-
cation at any four-year college of their
choice. HCC provides help in the Aca-
demic Support Center which allows
students to get the help they need on
campus. Students can even have 24-hour
access to tutoring by using E-Tutoring
online.
I have never been that good in math,
but my professor Rizzi has been a great
help because he is my teacher and my
tutor. Although this is my second time
taking math, this time I think I got it
with the help of my professor! says
Jean Baptist, an HCC student.
With hours of tutoring available,
HCC manages to open its doors to stu-
dents with different goals or interest.
HCC offers programs for those students
who like business. This program teaches
students how to manage a business and
offers insight on how to create their own
business.
I really enjoy my business class, and
my professor is very professional which
brings a great atmosphere to our class-
room, says Helen Smith.
I am learning that time management
is very important in maintaining a busi-
ness or a goal! Most of all, [I must] al-
ways keep track of any and everything I
invest my time in, she adds.
The program at HCC allows students
to work at their own pace, and students
have the convenient opportunity to sign
up for classes that work according to
their everyday life.
I love to draw and Im very much
into theater arts,says Kim Cohen, an
HCC student. I spend a lot of time at-
tending HCC art events or theater pro-
grams, and I have to bring my 2-year-old
son. So when I [come to school], I am
able to drop him off at HCCs daycare.
HCC has an on-campus daycare
which helps student parents still go to
school while their children are being
cared for by the employees of the day-
care.
Nonetheless, students are well pre-
pared for success with HCCs staff. They
are usually able to guide them on the
correct path. There are guidance coun-
selors, teachers, and the help offered in
the ASC available to help students get
classes, transfer to another school, and
even prepare for graduation. Whatever
the case may be, HCC has been and al-
ways will be a school of possibles and
opportunities. For more information on
what HCC offers, log on to www.hcc.
commnet.edu or visit HCC oIfces lo-
cated through out the schools campus.
HCC: A School of Opportunities
Faculty members gather for seminar to embrace
the opportunities at HCC.
Photo courtesy of hcccommnetedu
8
HORIZONS News
By laura guSTafSon
STaff WriTer
H
ave you ever wondered what
it would be like to date some-
one much older than you? With
new media attention drawn towards age-
gapped relationships, such as Demi Moore
and Ashton Kutcher, and the characters
played by Ed O`Neill and Sofa Vergara
in Modern Family, is the concept of being
involved in a Cougar relationship more
widely accepted modern day than it was
in the past?
Jackie Allen, an HCC student, says,
Its more popular now. They make mov-
ies on it.
Several aspects to these relationships
come into play, such as psychological ef-
fects, maturity levels, and both mental
and physical preference.
With media acknowledging the idea of
an older woman or man dating someone
half their age or younger; judgment from
family, friends, peers and acquaintances
can take a toll on a persons decision to
pursue anything Iurther with a signifcant
other. One HCC student, Laisha Andino,
was asked iI people could be infuenced
to make different decisions in a Cougar
relationship based on the people around
them.
Andino replied, Personally, I think
family has an impact on that. So, wheth-
er or not an individual takes others opin-
ions into their own, outsiders may still
pass judgment nowadays if they engage
in this sort oI aIfliation.
On the other hand, with the fourishing
media stir and concentration on making
inordinate predicaments more ordinary,
there are psychological aspects of this
interest in Cougar Couples that better
explains why they may occur. Psychol-
ogy Professor Larry Segallmexplains that
there are several components in breach
relationships such as Demi Moore and
Ashton Kutcher`s that can cause confict.
Maturity connections can cause prob-
lems, said Segall. 'There are defnitely
different levels of sexual maturity.
With maturity in mind, people in-
volved in age-gapped relationships may
fnd it easier or harder to relate with
someone who is not close in age to them.
He says that an older man pursuing a
younger woman could be interested in
how she may be energetic and more at-
tentive or more sexually desirable.
With rumors fying around the news,
tabloids and web, he recent concerns with
Ashton cheating on Demi have been very
disappointing.
Hardships can arise in age-gapped
relationships because of maturity levels,
change in interest, beliefs and overall
chemistry. The news of the split went
over harshly and abruptly for the couple,
who were only willing to come across
half spoken on Twitter. Kutcher replied
to these accusations with a web link
to Public Enemys hit Dont Believe
the Hype, while Moore tweeted with
Epictetus When we are offended at any
mans fault, turn to yourself and study
your own failings. Then you will forget
your anger.
So, whether the couple is done for
good still remains up in the air but specu-
lators assume that Ashton may be ac-
cused of cheating because of the pictorial
evidence taken by paparazzi when he was
spotted with a younger woman. It is also
a challenge for any young person to settle
down with a person signifcantly older
than them and share responsibilities that
are attached to that person such as chil-
dren, sharing a house, chores, and other
everyday duties. It can become over-
whelming and at the end of the day, can
we blame Kutcher for his rebellious act
of presumed adultery?
Cougar Couples is a growing phe-
nomenon that has been swallowed and di-
gested by media. The references to differ-
ing aged relationships is more accepted
and experienced in our society modern
day than it was ten years ago. Although
Ashton and Demi Moore are only one
well known example of these relation-
ships, they both seem on the fence when
it comes to their feelings, whether nega-
tive or positive. Although media twists
these couples in different ways, a lot of
them either work out or fail like in any
other relationship.
Since there are several dynamics at
play, who is to judge ones dating prefer-
ence? Times are changing and will con-
tinue to, so if you are on the fence about
that particular someone; no matter the
age, go for it,. What do you have to lose?
Cougar Couples:
A Different Perspective
You Dont Know What Youre Missing at the
Library!
By SamanTha delgado
STaff WriTer
T
he Housatonic Library has many
resources to help guide you in
your school work throughout your
semesters here. Are you having trouble
with a research paper? Try looking into
Interlibrary Loans. Doing a group project?
The Library has study rooms with specifc
computers designed for such work.
Databases: Librarian Mark Gore says
one useful resource that students arent
taking advantage of are the databases.
We do have lots of databases that are well
worth making use of. Theres a wealth of
knowledge in them.
Peter Everett, Public Services Librar-
ian, adds, there are thirty-seven data-
bases and I do my best to make students
aware. Between myself and the librarians
who go to a hundred different classes a
semester, so thats the whole thing where
some students maybe aware of it but not
all. All databases can be found off cam-
pus through your My Commnet account.
Just log in and click on the Library tab.
The databases will be under My Library
Resources, so you can access it anywhere
there is a computer.
Interlibrary Loan: The library has a
service called Interlibrary Loan. Gore
explains the process, Suppose youre
researching a topic and you need another
source or another book that we dont have.
I can use whats called First Search and
try to fnd a book Ior you Irom another
library and hopefully theyll send it here
on your behalf. So that you can make use
of something we dont have from librar-
ies throughout the country. In turn we send
out books- that is where the Inter comes
in. Its a collaborative agreement. Not a lot
of students take advantage of this. Contact
the HCC Library or even I can help out
with anyone who needs to use the Inter-
library Loan. Or they can just stop by the
reference desk to receive assistance.
However, getting a book from a Con-
necticut library, even as close as Sacred
Heart University, will take about a week,
so Gore cautions students to plan accord-
ingly....the other library has to process
the mail and it has to be received. So allow
enough time for your research, he adds.
Course Reserve: For some classes, your
assigned textbook can be in the course re-
serve section. Gore says, We have some
of the textbooks, not all of them, and they
can be checked out. [Librarian] Jennifer
Falasco, who is in charge of the books,
picks the ones that are in demand. And
we have what instructors put on course re-
serve here [behind the circulation desk].
Reference Desk: If you need help, ask
someone at the reference desk located in
the middle of the Library. Someone is al-
ways there to help, and theyll walk you
through it.
Study Rooms/Carrels: The Library
has three group study rooms in the back
that can be used by students with a library
card. The rooms include a new C-Pod, a
collaborative computer, with 3 keyboards
attached to a screen so if your doing a
group project, you can all work on it at
the same time. If you need to study or do
work by yourself, the library also has 91
study carrels at the back that are quiet and
relaxing.
Books: To the right when you frst walk
in is the Best-Sellers. The library does not
own but rent these titles, chosen from the
New York Times Best Selling list. The
idea is to keep having new ones so after
awhile they get turned over with the cur-
rent best sellers. The library also has audio
books on disk. So if you rather just listen to
a book, you can do that, especially if you
have a long commute. New books come
in all the time. These books are displayed
when you frst walk in the library and on
the circulation desk. The Card Catalog
System is where you look up all material
Irom the collection. Students can fnd the
Card Catalog on their my commnet ac-
counts, also under Library Resources.
DVDs/Tapes: The Ieature flms in the
Tapes section are the post popular items in
the library, set up by title. You can check
out any three at a time. Educational DVDs
such as Shakespeare plays and anatomy
flms are on the other side. And we also
have some old VHS tapes over there too.
Also in this section are the instructional
DVDs in certain subjects such as math,
so if you ever need practice or extra help
those are there for you to utilize.
Hours: The Library hours for the Fall
and Spring Semester are Monday -Thurs-
day: 8:30 a.m. - 9:00 p.m., Friday: 8:30
a.m. - 2:30 p.m., and on Sundays 1:00 p.m.
- 5:00 p.m. The Library is open year round
even when the semester is over although
the hours do change: Monday - Friday
8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Some people can be intimidated to ask
for help, but in the library you dont have
to worry. The staff is there to aid you.
Like Horizons on Facebook and Follow Us on Twitter!
Visit the Housatonic Horizons Facebook fan page to read the latest about whats going on at HCC
as well as articles you won`t fnd in the paper, and to send us links, comments, and suggestions.
Follow us on Twitter at @HCCHorizons, and search the hashtag #hoccnews to learn about campus
news as our reporters discover it!
9
HORIZONS News
Are the Protests Spreading throughout the
Country a Sign of a Nation In Chaos?
By daVe Weidenfeller
STaff WriTer
T
he chaos surrounding Wall Street
frst came to my attention via email
as a link from an old friend. Im
sure it was meant as a joke playing off
my distaste for corporate America. Hav-
ing basic knowledge of civil rights move-
ments and the counter culture of the 50s
and 60s, the rebellious nature of the name
alone pulled at my curiosity: Occupation
Wall Street.
I questioned if this movement was as
legitimate as they claim. Do we live in a
nation suffocating in chaos? This serves
as the second more recent major political
movement since the Tea Party Movement
back in 2009.
On September 17, 2011, a group set up
camp in Liberty Plaza and occupied Wall
Street. Metal fencing and a security de-
tail composed of police surrounded Wall
Streets beloved Bronze Bull. Their sym-
bol of aggressive business. This corralling
of the bull is an important image, which
stands both powerful, and symbolic of the
stalemate of American economic stamina.
Reminiscent of the sit-ins and rallies
during Americas civil rights movements
and anti-war efforts, Liberty Plaza, as well
as over seventy cities nation wide includ-
ing Connecticuts capital of Hartford and
the home of ever conservative Yale Uni-
versity, have been occupied in support
of this Anti-Corporate Greed Movement.
Seems pretty simple, but its not.
Where this event in American history
takes a turn to the complex is when people
try to defne what the protests are about.
So what is the Occupy Wall Street
movement all about?
Picket signs displayed thoughts of the
people throughout Liberty Plaza. One
that sticks out in my mind read, If there
was an actual war on Poverty, then mon-
ey would actually be put into it. Others
called for the end to a war now in its elev-
enth year. Yet, others still called attention
to the movements lack of focus-- Were
Here, Were Unclear, Get Used To It! It
is this very fact that has got people talking.
In a Fox News video posted under the title,
Wall Street Protesters Cant Get Their
Story Straight with guests Fran Tarking-
ton and Heidi Harris, they discuss protest-
ers demands of extending New Yorks
millionaire tax.
The top one percent of New York cur-
rently pays forty percent of the taxes col-
lected. This does not seem out of focus
when one makes the connection that the
people benefting Irom the gross profts oI
big corporations are these same million-
aires. When asked about this, Tarkington
immediately started off by saying that the
federal bailouts (granted during the end of
the Bush administration and extended by
the Obama Administration) are anti-capi-
talist, and instead of targeting Wall Street
the protesters should be in Washington
D.C.
Tarkengton adds that it is the gov-
ernment at fault and that bailing out the
banks, automakers and other businesses
is against the fundamentals of what this
country is all about. Many other people
such as Don Imus to Chaz from the WPLR
morning show have publicly stated they
feel the protests should be taking place
in the capital, and that the Federal Gov-
ernment can fx this problem. It is the
lack of focus and organization that keeps
people on their toes. They are only left to
guess and interpret messages that emanate
from the ever-growing number of protests
across the United States and the world.
Remarks from occupywallstreet.org
argue that these protests, this movement
is indeed inspired by those in Egypt not
too long ago.
Still, others are angry at the corruption
and seemingly excessive greed on Wall
Street. Bailouts come to mind once again
when talking of corporate greed. Hundreds
oI fnancial institutions were granted bail
out money including big players such as
Bank of America and insurance giant AIG.
Many of these institutions have returned
nothing back. Many people like myself,
do not know why these corporations have
given nothing back while operating in the
traditional manner with the ultimate goal
oI large profts.
A list of institutions and dollar amounts
can be found at projects.propublica.org/
bailout/list. The bail out focus is a political
and economic issue with a draw on where
fair business practice and fair government
meet and cross the line. But what about
those accountable for unethical business
practices or fat out criminal actions? One
would think that would be a priority. This
can ft under corporate greed as well.
The media is littered with stories of
fraudulent business deals, and with people
conned out of their savings and never get a
dime returned even if the crook is caught.
People like Lauren Reed believe that these
people should be held responsible for
their actions, Hell yea, Take everything
they got and give it away! she said with
a smile. Mortgages, even car loans and
credit cards were believed to be purpose-
fully given to people they knew could not
keep up with the payment. People see ex-
tra charges on bill statements because cor-
porations pull every cent they can while
trying to reduce the services you get (i.e.
Bank of America and their new monthly
charge for debit card use). Criminal Ac-
tions such as the infamous Maddof scan-
dals and pension fasco`s are also Iueling
the fre oI the Wall Street Protest.
With all of this to instill the economic
crisis, America is facing yet another aspect
of protest. This focus of protest concerns
the billions spent on a war many Ameri-
cans do not support and or even approve
of when people in this country are losing
their homes and their jobs. Debates over
budgets that seem to hack at the throats
of the social programs designed to help
support those in need of assistance. Yet
another attraction are the billions wasted
on the drug war should have gone to serve
the community, or national infrastructure
like highways, bridges and sewage line,
things that have been ignored for decades.
With all the variations on focus and belief
or lack there of, the simple demand for
change is evident.
It was here I stopped and realized that
in order to answer the original question
Are we a nation in chaos? we must look
at two other seemingly irrelevant but vi-
tal issues that give added insight. First,
we must look at The Tea Party, no not the
Boston tea party all though it is indeed a
reference to the act of protest against the
English back in 1773. The Tea Party is the
frst major political movement in the Unit-
ed States since the turmoil of the anti- war
efforts of the 60s, making Occupy Wall
Street the second massive movement in a
four-year period.
The Tea Party Movement by this time
has been absorbed into the Republican
party since its inception, and is viewed as
both a conservative and libertarian move-
ment. According to the Movement`s oIf-
cial web page, fscal responsibility, Con-
stitutionally Limited Government, and a
Free Market are the three demands or core
values embraced by Tea Partiers. They
are very direct, easily defned, and are
explained in detail on the Tea Party web
page. There are two different movements:
one conservative reserved and well orga-
nized, the other more Iree fowing, lacking
in focus and even proposing a more radi-
cal way but both call loudly for a common
element-- change.
In a Fox News broadcast with Don
Imus and Pat Buchanan, Buchanan a sea-
soned veteran in D. C., mentions how
he has never seen things so deadlocked
up there on Capitol Hill. He goes on to
convey that without willingness to work
together and compromise, fxing the po-
litical and economic issues in this country
will be a hopeless cause. Like many, Bu-
chanan feels that Americans are much too
selI-absorbed and selfsh.
It is obvious that the tension of eco-
nomic and political stability in America is
at an all time high. According to an article
in The Week in Media magazine, unem-
ployment rates remain at a staggering 9.1
percent. With a massive national debt and
a military spread thinly across the globe,
people like Buchanan feel we cannot even
defend our own borders. So is this nation
in chaos? Thats up to you to decipher on
your own.
Attention both students and staff mem-
bers: feel free to share your opinions or
ideas. If you have been involved and have
a story to share, please write to: Dave
Weidenfeller at dcweid.weidenfeller8@
gmail.com.
Photo by Cassandra Mendoza
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10
HORIZONS News You Can Use
I Love You, but I Want to Choke You with a
Turkey Leg!
ews you can use
Become A Better Student
By JaSon l. SToVer
STaff WriTer
A
lot of students bomb on test and quizzes, but mostly because they do not know
how to study. Everyone has a different studying style. The way you are studying
now may not be the best way for you. The only way to know how well youre
studying are by the grades you receive from tests and quizzes. If youve earned below
satisfactory grades, chances are, your preferred style of studying is not effective.
As I learned in my Academic Skills class, there are three main learning styles: Visu-
al, Auditory, and Tactile/Kinesthetic. Some people learn by (seeing) visual, some people
learn by (hearing) auditory, and some people learn by (doing) tactile/kinesthetic. No one
uses one oI these styles exclusively because it`s about fnding a balance oI what works
for you individually. The style you choose may not always be the same. It may vary or
be combined with others given the nature of the work.
Manage your time wisely because many students run into problems regarding pro-
crastination. The better you are with using your time eIfciently and eIIectively, the more
you will be able to accomplish.
I work better under pressure, is the number one answer for students when it comes
to procrastination, said Professor Kim Droniak.
Bucks County Community College offers the following tips on how to become a
better student:
Clear your schedule. Don`t overextend yourselI. Recognize that your obliga-
tions and resulting stress are as important as other peoples needs. Set limits around
being interrupted or rescheduling your work time to accommodate others. Omit or re-
schedule some of your other obligations. You want to give full concentration to your
studies without feeling guilty about what youre NOT doing.
Get motivated. Create a work area that is Iree Irom distractions and commit to
staying there for at least one to two hours. If you get side-tracked, remind yourself how
this activity will help you to meet your goals.
Prioritize. What has to be done frst? When is it due? What is worth more in
terms of your grade? What is worth more in terms of your personal, educational, or ca-
reer goals?
Make sure you understand the task. Ask questions. Get help iI you need it.
Break down the task into chunks Estimate how much time you`ll need to com-
plete the task. Dont try to do it all at one time. Break it down so that its do-able and
not so overwhelming. Stay up-to-date on assignments to help avoid overload.
It doesn`t have to be perIect. Some people are so aIraid that they won`t perIorm
perfectly, they wont do anything at all. Make sure you understand the expectations of
your instructor. Then evaluate how important the task is and what level of performance
is acceptable to you. Then just do it!
When you really hate it, try to make it as enjoyable as possible. Work on this task
frst, while you have more energy. Reward yourselI when you complete certain aspects
of the task.
Note taking is very important to your studies because it helps the brain make a con-
nection to whats being taught. Organized notes help you identify the important ideas
in the lecture. A lecture is where you learn what information your teacher thinks is im-
portant and what the majority of your exams will consist of. Listening well and paying
close attention is essential to note taking.
Droniak says Be prepared to take notes, and have your notebook opened and pen
handy. [Be prepared] no matter what the events of class are, whether it be a guest speak-
er or trip to the library. According to citruscollege.edu, here are tips to help you suc-
ceed as a student.
Sit as close to the Iront oI class as possible to increase your level oI attention
and decrease distractions. This allows you to hear and see unimpeded as well.
Date your notes and identiIy the class.
Look Ior clues the instructor may give that he or she is saying something im-
portant:
Repetition
Watch the instructor`s eyes--is he or she reading Irom notes to be sure some-
thing is stated exactly.
Highlight obvious clues. Instructors oIten tell you in so many words that some-
thing is important or will be on a test. Star, underline, use a highlighter or in some other
way mark it as such.
Listen Ior verbal 'asterisks such as, 'The main point is..., 'We will Iocus
on..., The key is...
Notice the instructor`s interest level. Is he or she excited? Is the voice more
emphatic than usual?
Consider all visual aids important. Copy all material Irom the board or over-
head projector or other visual displays.
Use only one side oI the paper, or use 3x5 cards. Either way allows you to lay
the notes out to see the fow or 'get the big picture.
Leave space. You may need to add clarifcation or additional material later.
Space also indicates movement to a new topic or idea.
Don`t try to write everything down. Leave room in your listening to hear eI-
fectively and interact with the class when appropriate.
By aShley Welfare
STaff WriTer
F
amilies; we all have them. Hopefully, we all love them; even though there are
times when our families get on our nerves and we want to cut them with the carv-
ing knife, especially during the holiday, like Thanksgiving. So, how do your peers
avoid the pressure of picking up the big pan of freshly made Mac & Cheese and throw-
ing it in Uncle Bennys face for pushing your buttons one too many times?
Not every family, during the holidays, has it easy. How can it be when mom is prepar-
ing food thats only for one day; ten nights in advance, or more realistically, four? Then,
more than fIty people show up Ior dinner at one small location.
Kevin Chang, 19, a student, here at Housatonic, knows just what to do. I go out and take a
breather. When times get rough with everyone in the house I take a break, but mostly
things go well, he says.
What he also likes to do that struck a chord is, he makes sure that he puts personal
problems aside for the family. Its easy to get excited and take certain things out of con-
text when there is a full room of people that are bothering you, but what happens if you
are not the calm type?
Quentin Pew, 19, also an HCC student, believes that the direct approach is the most
reliable approach. Being outspoken has caused him problems in his past, but he is never
shy of something that he believes works. He told me that he isnt afraid of telling his
family what is needed to be said. Another great way to avoid confrontation is by attack-
ing it head strong so there is no room for saying that you were not told already about
the issue.
Eric Ramsey, 19, a General Studies major, agrees He and his brother argue a lot and
at times it gets too out oI hand; especially when they fght. Even some oI his Iamily
members get in to huge disagreements and fghts. Don`t think it is just his Iamily. There
are others, but they are afraid because they dont know how their friends will act or
perceive them to be.
To help out as many students as we can, I asked random students just one word an-
swers of what they will do and why. Heres a few:
Tell how you Ieel. It`s better to be honest, than to keep it all in.
Smile, things will get better. Remember, they are your Iamily.
Pray, (Ior those who believe in a higher power). Even iI they are your Iamily,
things get tough.
Sleep. II you can fnd a way to get out and take a fve minute 'cat nap, that
might help you from knocking somebody out.
And lastly,
RUN!!! Sometimes you need to just run, as Iast and as Iar as you can.
Even though all of these are very helpful, it is still your family, and you know what
you can do to tolerate one another, either way, family is family, no matter how big, small,
or annoying they might be. Happy Holidays!
Want to tell me what you think about this article or any other that I write? Tweet me,
@AshMarieHCC
Students prepare for the challenges of Thanksgiving.
Photo By Cassandra Mendoza and Photo Editing By Mike Kelly
11
HORIZONS News You Can Use
Take notes in diIIerent colors. Color can be used to show main ideas, impor-
tant or emphasized material or movement from one topic to another. Alternately, when
reviewing notes, use several colors of highlighters.
Use pictures and diagrams. Make your notes visual.
Don`t erase. Neatly line through mistakes. This takes less time and you may
fnd your frst impression was right.
Ink smears less than does pencil and will not Iade as quickly. Keep a supply oI
pens, so if one is dry or leaves those nasty, messy globs, you can switch to another. Of
course, some notes, such as math problems, may be taken in pencil.
Avoid doodling. You may miss something or lose your concentration.
Try to write legibly. Be conscious oI your handwriting. Try to notice iI your
notes are getting hard to read and remind yourself to get back on track.
Be open-minded. II you disagree with the lecturer, don`t let it interIere with
taking notes. Quickly note your questions or disagreement and pursue it later.
Raise questions in class iI appropriate. Otherwise, indicate questions you may
have or notice when you become lost in your note taking with a question mark or other
symbol and go on. Later you can check with the instructor or another student to clarify.
Although a good study environment is individualized to ft a particular person, there
are certain distractions that study areas should be free of. Keep your phone off, says
Droniak.
One place you can study within HCCs campus is the library, but if you want some-
where a little more secluded, try the study rooms within the library. On the third and
second foor oI Beacon Hall, there are plenty oI comIortable seats available, and the area
is pretty quiet most of the time. Not the cafeteria, said Droniak. It is often crowded and
has too many distractions with people constantly in passing. Consider these things when
choosing an adequate study environment:
Get enough rest BEFORE!
Eat meal FIRST!
Water
When most ALERT!
Quiet
SuIfcient lighting
Music (iI preIer)
ComIortable place (desk, table, etc.)
Minimal distractions
ComIortable temperature
Study material during the week, at least once a week, whether there is a test or not.
Keep a daily planner, and work studying into your daily routine. Set up a routine for
each class [because] it will help eliminate the procrastination, says Droniak. The best
way to approach the subject is by understanding the material thoroughly, and ask ques-
tions in advance about anything you do not comprehend. Some helpful study techniques
for you to try according to Academic Skills Studies DS099.
Flash cards
Rewrite notes
Study several days beIore exam
DO NOT CRAM!
Quiz/selI-test/questions
Get tutoring early!
Go to library-study alone
Memorize (iI necessary)
Practice experiments
Draw pictures/diagrams
READ notes everyday, beIore each class
READ notes or TEXT aloud to yourselI
Study with Iriend/groups
Highlight notes and other materials
Students, use your resources because there here for you. Stop by the Academic Sup-
port Center in Lafayette Hall or check out etoturing.com online. If you have any ques-
tions, Kim Droniak will be happy to assist you. She can be located in room B202 Tues-
days and Thursdays 5:30/6:30 pm or via email kDroniak@hcc.commnet.edu.
By giving HCC students tips and suggestions on how to take better notes in class,
manage time, having a workable study environment, and some alternate study tech-
niques, Im sure [to see] grade improvements, Droniak said.Build relationships with
students, staff, and faculty. It can increase study help. Its a continuous way to gain new
skills.
CL&P, Netix, Herman Cain...
Where Did They Lose their Message?
Learn more in a New Public Relations Course at HCC!
Introduction to Public Relations, COM201, will be offered this spring
at HCC, Mondays and Wednesday, from 12:30-1:50 p.m. for all inter-
ested students. The course will focus on public relations as its prac-
ticed today, and also review the historical backdrop of this very impor-
tant profession.
In addition to learning theory and industry best practices, the class
will critique current public relations scenarios in business, government
and politics. Through these case studies, we will appreciate the com-
plexity and range of decision making strategies that go into crafting
effective public relations policy.
A former journalist and editor, Adjunct Professor Frances Trelease
brings 15 years of experience to the classroom. She creates a highly
interactive classroom environment where students will become ac-
tively engaged in the learning process. They will come away with a
real-word understanding of this profession.
12
HORIZONS Health & Science
Alcohol and College Students
cience ealth and
By aShley CampBell
STaff WriTer
T
he frst Iew months oI each semes-
ter for college students usually
goes along very smoothly. They go
to class on time, and hand in assignments
when they need to. Simply put, they are al-
ways on top of their work. Then suddenly,
all of that effort slows down in the middle
of the semester. Students start getting in-
vited to events off campus. These events
tend to throw students off. When one event
goes well, they just cant wait to attend an-
other. Most of these off campus events in-
volves drinking which is something their
parents warned them about even before
starting college. Some students in college
dont even drink. This is when peer pres-
sure takes the wheel. They start drinking
and begin to sli
Binge drinking varies amongst certain
colleges, and depends on the type of col-
lege and the location. Binge drinking is
often detected when a female or male has
fve or more drinks in a row. For many
students, binge drinking starts with either
a beer or a shot of Vodka. It is common
among students who drink socially and
those who participate in activities over the
weekends.
According to statistics revealed by
Northern Kentucky University, In one
multi-campus survey, White non-Hispanic
students reported to have the highest per-
centage of binge drinking in a 2-week pe-
riod (43.8 percent), followed by Native
American (40.6 percent), Hispanic (1.3
percent), Asian (22.7 percent), and black
non-Hispanic students (22.5 percent).
When it comes to alcohol and drugs
in any school, peer pressure is the main
reason. People drink just because others
are drinking or even use it as an excuse
to ft into a certain group. A Iew use al-
cohol as an escape from school stress and
relationship issues. During school events
or special occasions, alcohol is seen as a
form of celebration and is often deemed
acceptable. These can be good reasons to
consume alcohol, but these reasons dont
negate the fact that binge drinking hap-
pens more often than necessary.
Too much alcohol usage can lead to
students damaging property, unsafe sex,
a run in with law enforcement, and most
importantly a drastic decline in their aca-
demic performance. Students start to fall
behind in assignments, they do poorly
on quizzes and exams, and fnd it hard to
concentrate in class. Procrastination takes
a huge toll on students who use alcohol
frequently. By being out all night, students
rarely get a good nights rest for the next
day. Having a hang over can cause stu-
dents to lose the motivation to attend class
the next morning. Such a fact causes them
to miss assignments.
If the students cant seem to steer away
from frequent drinking, this is when par-
ents need to step in and get involved to
address and rectify the situation . A par-
ent who checks in on their child frequently
would notice something wrong by their
behavior including a huge change in their
grades, lack of communication, and mood
changes. Its important that parents pay at-
tention to their childs experience and ac-
tivities in the frst 6 weeks oI college. It
wouldnt be a bad idea to pop on campus
every once in a while just to be aware of
whats going on. A parent who is involved
always has a better chance of getting a
student back on track.
Remember, binge drinking affects 44
percent of college students nationwide.
Dont be another statistic.
Im Every Woman!
Early Detection of Breast Cancer Saves Lives
By BoBBi BroWn
Senior STaff WriTer
O
ctober is known as Breast Cancer
Awareness month. With all the
major planning that takes place
throughout the year, there is still a great
need for women to get checked for breast
cancer. Early detection can slow down the
cancer and give women better chances to
live longer.
Each year, an alarming number of
40,000 women are diagnosed with breast
cancer. This number will keep rising if
more women dont get checked for breast
cancer in its early stages. As a result, stu-
dents at HCC have participated and have
also made it their duty to bring breast can-
cer awareness to HCCs campus.
Julian Douglas lost his mother to breast
cancer in 2006. Although it has been four
years, he still fnds it hard to cope with.
Whenever there is an event during the year
addressing breast cancer, he helps out by
passing out fiers, sending out emails, and
coordinating walks for breast cancer.
Losing my mom opened up my eyes
to realize how important your health is,
and getting help before things get worse.
The doctors were unable to get to the can-
cer in time before it had spread into my
mothers chest, says Douglas, a Business
major at HCC.
I didnt know my mom was really
sick. She never really spoke about her
health to me or my brothers, but we all
knew something was wrong. Sometimes I
wish I knew before things got real bad so
we could have helped her get earlier help,
he adds.
According to a recent article written by
the American Cancer Society, breast can-
cer is common among American women
and this can be passed genetically. The
article also states that 5 to 10 percent of all
breast cancers are hereditary. Many peo-
ple go without ever getting tested which
leaves important information unknown.
Elaine Ward is a community leader
and radio producer who co-hosted a radio
show called, You Need to Know. The
topics discussed on this show informed
men and women on important issues that
affects them in their everyday lives. One
particular issue paid regard to the health
of women.
I am an advocate for everyone, but es-
pecially our women. We have to take bet-
ter care of ourselves. Breast cancer does
not have to be the end of your life, but by
educating yourself and visiting your doc-
tor often you will be keeping track of
what is going on in your body, says Ward.
This is very true. We as women,
whether young or old, need to get our
monthly mammograms and even do our
own breast exams during free times,
agrees Viola Muhammad, a Certifed
Nurses Aid (CNA ) at St. Vincents Hos-
pital.
Although there are a number of women
who have lost their lives to breast cancer,
there are many survivors who live to tell
their stories. These women encourage the
importance of getting their mammograms
and getting support if breast cancer does
occur.
I wear my pink ribbon with a smile
on my face, says Omega Jones, a seven
year breast cancer survivor and Bridgeport
resident.
I wouldnt wish breast cancer or can-
cer on my worst enemy, so
just call me a walking mir-
acle. My biggest challenges
were accepting that I had it
and realizing that it didnt
need to be the thing that
ended my life! she adds.
Women like Jones go
into the community and ed-
ucate young women to take
the risk of breast cancer
seriously. Jones is a part of
the Mount Sinai church in
Waterbury, where they link
up with many churches and
organization in the Bridge-
port area as well as other
parts of CT. These groups
of women host womens
health care programs that encourage col-
lege students and women from all over
to attend. These seminars also speak with
men who either have wives that are diag-
nosed with breast cancer or men who have
breast cancer.
We host these programs all year long
by giving out information, and by having
speakers come in to address our women
as well as our men. I love our women but
it is important for men to know they too
can get breast cancer,says Sharon Tilley,
a breast cancer survivor and a Bridgeport
resident.
[Nonetheless, it is widely known that
women are more prone to receive breast
cancer than men,] but I think its great that
they come and get examined, she adds.
Tilley is a project organizer for the
womens breast cancer life group because
she was diagnosed with breast cancer 21
years ago and continues to fght and help
other young women seek early detections.
Due to the lack of knowledge on what
a women should do or know about breast
cancer, many women remain oblivious to
the idea. A mammogram takes a deeper
look inside of breasts with the use of an
X-ray. This x-ray helps doctors to detect
breast cancer in its early stages. Accord-
ing to an article published by the CDC for
breast cancer, it states that, women be-
tween the ages of 50 to 70 years of age
should have their breasts checked every
two years or every six months.
Women whose tests come back ab-
normal are able to sit down with a doctor
and get mental and psychical help to deal
with their breast cancer. Women are able
to get a second opinion before they take
any steps toward surgically removing the
breast (vasectomy) or chemotherapy.
For more information on breast cancer
or support groups, call the National Can-
cer Institutes (CIS) a 1-800-4-CANCER
(1-800-422-6237), or TTY: 1-800-332-
8615.
For Medicare information, you can call
1-800 MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) or
visit
In addition, The Centers for Dis-
ease Control and Prevention (CDC) has
a branch called the National Breast and
Cervical Cancer Early Detection program,
which works with health departments and
other groups to provide low-cost or free
mammograms to women who qualify.
You can fnd out more at http://www.cdc.
gov/cancer/nbccedp/screenings.htm
This ribbon represents breast cancer awareness month.
Courtesy of hydenicblogcom
13
Childhood Obesity vs Fast Food Monopolies
By mary e. anderSon
STaff WriTer
F
lu season has arrived once again.
For many, it is just a ten minute wait
in a pharmacy or doctor`s oIfce Ior
the vaccine then they are done until next
year. Although it seems simple, there is so
much more involved.
The process really all begins each
spring when the World Health Organiza-
tion decides which two other strains oI fu
to add to the H1N1 (swine fu) to make the
coming seasons fu vaccine. They hope
their selections will be the strains in ex-
istence Ior the coming fu season. Some-
times they are and sometimes they are not.
It does not stop there. Once the vaccine is
made, there is so much more to consider.
The Flu nasal spray, made for persons 2
through 49 years of age, appears to be the
answer to prayers for those with a fear of
needles. However, Medimmune, the com-
pany that manufactures the spray, is very
specifc when it warns those diagnosed
with asthma and persons taking aspirin
therapy not to take the nasal spray version.
Also, since the spray contains a live virus
instead of an inactivated one as found in
the fu injection, caution should be exer-
cised if you are pregnant or nursing.
The pharmaceutical manufacturer
GlaxoSmithKline makes the injectable
Fluarix for ages 3 years and up. Again, for
pregnant and nursing women, make sure
your Fluarix injection is the preservative-
Iree version. Sanof Pasteur makes a pre-
servative- Iree injecting fu vaccine Ior 6
through 35 months of age, which is half
the size of the adult version.With such a
variety available, the Center for Disease
stresses the importance of giving an age
appropriate dose.
A new concern arises this year for
young children receiving the fu vaccine
along with the pneumococcal-13 vac-
cine. Parents are warned that the two
given together could cause fever-induced
seizures. The CDC recommends that
they still be given in spite of the risk
since the alternatives, meningitis and
fu, are Iar worse in the long run. This
is a choice that the parent must make
.
It would appear that the fu vaccine is
far more complex than many people think.
Tammara Usedo from HCCs Health Ser-
vices oIIered her view oI the fu vaccine,
stating that the side effects of the vaccine
outweigh benefts, and fu is just a small
part of an overall larger health problem.
Usedo believes that people should eat
healthier, take better care of themselves,
and make a point to be aware of what is in
the food they are eating. Then, the bodys
own natural defenses can help protect a
person against fu and against disease in
general, she concludes.
The bottom line for persons intending
to get the fu vaccine is to know the Iacts
and present your questions or concerns to
your care giver.
And rule number one: always let your
doctor or nurse know if you have an al-
lergy to eggs beIore receiving a fu vaccine
of any kind. For the nasal spray, be sure to
let your caregiver know if you have an al-
lergy as well to gelatin, the antibiotic gen-
tamicin, or arginine. Remember to be sure
and inform your caregiver if you are sick
or have a fever before getting vaccine. If
you are already sick, the vaccine will not
make what you have better. For more in-
formation about the Nasal Flu spray, visit
Flumist.com or call 877-633-4411. Fur-
ther concerns can be directed to the CDC
at 800 232- 4636.
A Touch of the Flu
Understanding the Flu Vaccine
HORIZONS Health & Science
By JameS harloW
STaff WriTer
E
very year more and more fast food
chains are opening up worldwide.
While these fast food chains want
people to think that they are helping the
community, they are in fact actually hurt-
ing them. The result of these chains are
causing a growing problem in the United
States, and all over the world. This prob-
lem is childhood obesity.
Childhood obesity is a very serious
problem that has nearly tripled in the Unit-
ed States in the past thirty years. Obesity
can be stated as having too much body fat,
but it does not mean that someone is over-
weight, but rather the person weighs too
much. Obesity can cause the vital func-
tions of the body to not work properly,
resulting in heart disease, stroke, or even
in some cases, depression. First Lady Mi-
chele Obama is very active in preventing
the spread of this disease, and makes regu-
lar appearances on talk shows to discuss
prevention.
Many things contribute to this disease.
Some people are obese because they eat
too much unhealthy food. Regardless, one
of the major problems is the fast food na-
tion that we are living in. McDonalds and
Burger King are examples of fast food
chains that are adding to this growing
problem. For example, the McDonalds
trademark sandwich the Big Mac contains
an astounding 540 calories. While these
fast food chains offer healthier options like
salads and apple slices, people still tend to
lean more toward the unhealthy choices.
Consuming the food is not the only
problem; advertising is as well. McDon-
alds targets their advertising towards
young kids. By doing this, they hope they
will grow up loving the fast food chain
into adulthood and will buy their prod-
uct for years to come. A byproduct of
all of that time in front of the TV is that
the average child sees 40,000 TV com-
mercials a year. Research has shown that
a two and three year-olds already knows
the McDonalds logo. Kids channels like
Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network play
commercials from these fast food chains
numerous times a day, hindering work to-
wards a solution.
Family life is also affected by this dis-
ease. Childhood obesity leads to stress at
home for not only the child, but for the
other family members as well. Some chil-
dren are obese because their parents are.
Researchers say that children are imita-
tors and will eat a lot if they see their par-
ents eat a lot. But on the other end, some
are just genetically prone to this disease.
There are just so many things that affect
this disease. But one thing is for sure, kids
love staying inside and playing on their
computers, watching TV, and listening to
music. An active life style is very impor-
tant if a child is going to stay healthy. So
parents, get your children off the couch,
and send them outside to enjoy the fresh
air. It could save their lives!
Images Wants YOU!
Calling all creatives...
Were looking for creative individuals to submit work to Images,
HCCs Literary Magazine.
Send poetry, short stories, or illustrations to housatonicimages@ya-
hoo.com, sempric@hcc.commnet.edu, or lovandabrown@yahoo.com
by December 9, 2011.
We cant wait to review your work!
14
HORIZONS Opinions
pinions
Family Connections: Facebook Connects
the Disconnected!
By BoBBi BroWn
Senior STaff WriTer
E
ver heard the saying whats lost
can always be found? Well, its
true, thanks to Facebook. Face-
book and other social networking sites can
be said to be a blessing or a curse. In my
situation, Facebook has been a blessing.
When I was fve, I was separated Irom
my family and placed into foster care. I
didnt know much about my real family
or how to locate them. Then I was in-
troduced to Myspace, which allowed me
to search for family members. The only
thing that was wrong with Myspace was
you could go under so many different
screen names.This made locating people
very hard. It wasnt until I was introduced
to Facebook that everything changed. This
social networking site known as Facebook
has been up and running since February of
2004. This site has created creative ways
to stay connected to family and friends.
Most people may agree that Facebook
was just for socializing and updating their
status, but to me it became more. I remem-
ber getting a friend request from my older
sister, who I haven`t seen since I was fve.
We began talking and getting caught up on
each others lives. After that day I looked
at
Facebook in a whole different perspec-
tive. I was on the hunt to locate people
I havent seen in years, but more so my
family.
When I was younger, and when my
family became separated, I honestly didnt
think I would ever see them again. Face-
book has its ups and downs, but people
have been able to fnd long lost Iamily
members, high school sweet-
hearts and even their enemies.
I can honestly agree with
you, says Jasmin Davis, an
HCC student.
I moved from North Caro-
lina when I was 12. I am 19
now and there wasnt a Face-
book back then, or at least I
didnt know about it. I had to
leave all of my friends behind.
I always wondered how every-
one was and I later used Face-
book to locate most of them,
she adds.
No matter how far the dis-
tance, Facebook has allowed
people to stay connected to
people from all over the world.
People who live as far as China
are able to keep in touch with
people here in the US. I never
knew how possible that was
until I realized how big Face-
book has expanded .
My family is from Ja-
maica. I talk to my aunts and
uncles all the time on Facebook
because its less expensive than
to call up there,says Ishmel Lockheart,
criminal justice major, at HCC.
Fa c e book
has given
people second
chances, just
like me. Al-
though my life
played out the
way it did, I am
forever grate-
ful because this
social networking site allows me to stay
up to date with the people I love and keep
close eyes on my enemies.Whatever the
case may be, people can still be far a part
but close at heart; by simply logging on to
Facebook.
Im truly amazed at how Facebook
unites people everyday. My brother is
overseas, in Iraq, and almost everyday I
am able to talk to him. He uploads videos
of him on base. Even though it brings tears
to my eyes that I cant hug him, his love
reaches me every time he hits me up on
Facebook, says Dymond DuRock.
Facebook has been an outlet for all
kinds of connections. People are able to
connect to the president of the United
States, by reading his status or looking at
pictures he may upload from the White
House. They are even able to stay in con-
tact with their favorite singer or actor. Ev-
eryday, there are millions of people who
log on to Facebook and for whatever that
reason may be, people are staying con-
nected even iI that means fnding people
we dont see everyday.
Some may fnd it strange connecting
with family members by way of Face-
book, but I count it as a blessing because
even though I may not be able to hug or
see someone face to face, just knowing
that no matter where I am, as long as we
have Internet connection we will always
stay connected. Life has made me real-
ize that although we may be miles away
our hearts never have to be. Facebook has
been that connection back to those family
members who mean the world to us!
Facebook has allowed people to stay
connected to people from all over the
world
By eriC SWanSon
STaff WriTer
F
rom outsourcing to technological
innovation, the job front is under
attack from all sides. Even govern-
ment legislation is playing a big part in the
job market. These days the atmosphere in
Washington DC more closely resembles
an elementary school playground. We are
led to believe that we either stand behind
the President or stand behind Congress.
Well, I vote for the third option. I stand
with the people.
We have a problem in our country and
at the root of it lies the fact that we havent
learned from the continuous mistakes of
our predecessors. Those who cannot re-
member the past are condemned to repeat
it, wrote George Santayana in his The
Life of Reason.
It is almost too easy to make this ar-
gument. To put it simply, we should just
look at the board game Monopoly. This
game is rooted in the mistakes made in
business over 90 years ago. Lets take a
moment to analyze a typical game. Ev-
eryone starts out with nothing and slowly
and surely starts to buy up property. You
pass go, and miraculously you are given
$200. So you decide to purchase more
property. You look at this as an invest-
ment, because eventually you will be col-
lecting rent from the property. Eventually
you own all of the houses on your block
and decide to start building houses, and
fnally hotels. Low and behold anyone
else who has landed on your property is
now broke. The animosity just grows as
the game goes on and as Im sure we can
all attest this game very rarely ever ends
with a smile on everyones face. So what
happened? We all started out with an even
playing feld, didn`t we?
Yes we did, but it didnt stay very even
for long. Eventually that lucky individual
who rolled the dice and gambled landed
on the Boardwalk, and soon after took
Park Place as well. As luck would have
it this individual who owns the most ex-
pensive piece of property in the game also
owns the water and electric utilities. So
one individual owns your water, electric-
ity and the roof over your head. Which
would be fne iI one night at this location
didnt bankrupt you. But this is the name
of the game Monopoly.
Charles Geisst describes a monopoly
as when ...one company dominates its
industry, being able to set prices, control
production, and often raise barriers to
compet i t ors
wishing to en-
ter the feld.
Why is this
bad? Be-
cause its goes
against ev-
erything that
our free mar-
ket stands
for. The free market is here so that if the
general population doesnt like a product
then they arent going to buy it and said
company can either change, or die off.
But if you rule the market, and control all
aspects oI this feld, and lack any compe-
tition, you have no reason to adapt at all.
What Happened to All the Jobs?
Students take free time to endorse Facebook
Photo by Cassandra Mendoza
Those who cannot remember the past
are condemned to repeat it
15
HORIZONS Opinions
Creativity and innovation are what made
our country great, and competition is the
only thing forcing companies to stay rel-
evant.
Throughout the 1930s the economy
was so bad that entire families were
forced out of there homes and into shan-
ty towns. John Steinbecks The Grapes
of Wrath accurately describes this at-
mosphere. The jobs disappeared, you
couldnt pay your mortgage, so the banks
or monster foreclosed on your property.
In the end the main character Tom Joad
goes on to stand with his people to fght
back. The problem we face today is that
1% of all the wealth in this country is tied
up between a handful of people and these
people in turn pay lobbyists, who infu-
ence our lawmakers. One would argue
that the common man should just pay a
lobbyist to speak on there behalf, but what
is one lobbyist to an army of corporate
owned lobbyists? To further that, it isnt
in a politicians interest to pay mind to the
disenfranchised. These politicians know
that if they do what the lobbyists tell them
then the corporate overlords will make
sure they have what they need for re-elec-
tion or give them a nice job afterwards.
The Great Depression is said to have
started with the stock market crash, but its
real root was in the trusts and monopo-
lies that dominated the economic market.
Rockefeller owned all the oil, and Carn-
egie owned all of the steel. All through-
out the 1930`s men tried and tried to fgure
out what went wrong but came up empty
handed. Eventually it became apparent
that the only thing that could save our
country was regulation. Legislation was
passed to limit the scope of business. The
banking industry had legislation forced
upon it also.
The economic woes throughout Con-
necticut and over the country are taking
their toll on the middle class and recent
college grads. The unemployment rate
for college students and young adults
under the age of 24 is now higher than it
was in the 1970s. Why is this happening
now? The recession has been blamed on
the housing bubble bursting, but why did
it have to burst? Our economic standing
is reminiscent of 1927, right before the
start of the Great Depression. What are
the reasons for this, and what can be done
to reverse these trends that are so harmful
to not only our way of life but our own
well being?
In a nut shell all of our economic trou-
bles can be related back to the millions
oI people out oI work. Without fnancial
stability the public doesnt spend money.
When we take away spending we are left
with stagnant economy, or more simply
put a country that is not moving forward.
With more people out of work, and fed-
eral and state funding of community/ state
universities projected to be cut ,the bur-
den of paying for rising costs in tuition
will be placed on the student, who is out
of work. If you cant get a job because you
are unqualifed, and you can`t go to school
to attain qualifcations because you can`t
afford to, what is one left to do? There
is not one simple answer; instead we are
leIt with many causes and no easy fx to a
serious problem.
As students at a community college
our main goal is to attain a good paying
job upon graduation, but what do we do
if there are no jobs once were through?
Millions oI young adults are fnding out
the hard way that the job market is not
what it was when they started their edu-
cation.
By mary e. anderSon
STaff WriTer
F
ashion trends come and go, but
there is one that has been going
strong for more than twenty years,
and it shows no signs of losing popularity.
Sagging has become so much more
than a fashion statement. It has evolved
into a symbol of rebellion, and a rite of
passage for youth. Some believe that it
started in the prison system among in-
mates who were not allowed to wear belts.
Others believe musicians have boosted
the popularity by adopting the style,
which caused its popularity to endure over
the years and spread across nations, and
which has likely reinforced the idea in the
minds of many young adults.
At any place where young people
meet, you are bound to see a young male
dressed, or maybe half-dressed is a better
description, with pants sagging and un-
derwear exposed.
Is it sanitary? Is it even safe for the in-
dividuals who follow this trend consider-
ing that fexibility is restricted? To better
understand the phenomenon, it is best to
get insight from the sagger and non-
sagger alike.
A look around HCC reveals several
male students in varying degrees of sag-
ging. Some provide vague responses when
asked why they choose the style. One stu-
dent named Ishmael admits that the style
is comfortable and that he has sagged
all his life. Another student, I will name
Marcus says he tried the style only once
and would never do it again even though
many of his friends sag all the time. He
indicated that he would probably get
beat up before leaving the house if he
tried the style again. Most importantly, he
does not believe you have to sag to ft in
or be popular.
What about the negative side effects
of sagging? It is easy to see that males
who sag have to walk with the added
burden of keeping the muscles of the
lower extremities
more rigid in order
to help their pants
stay up. Think
for a moment of
the muscles they
are tensing and in
turn the muscles
they are not using
as one normally
would.
What will hap-
pen over time?
The Theory of Ad-
aptation along with
Jean-Baptiste La-
marck offer a pos-
sible answer. La-
marckism theorizes
that use and disuse
of body parts used
more often become
stronger and larger,
while parts not
used slowly waste
away and disap-
pear. Even more
disturbing is the
the corresponding
inheritance of ac-
quired characteris-
tics theory, which
is the concept that
modifcations that occur during an organ-
isms lifetime are passed on to its off-
spring. Lamrack believed that the long
neck of the giraffe gradually evolved as
a result of giraffes stretching their necks
while trying to reach higher branches of
the trees.
Imagine the effect that sagging could
have over time. Should one expect to
fnd a Iuture race oI people who all walk
like they are wearing sagging pants even
though they are not? Or maybe one might
discover athletes overall who have lost
their edge because certain leg muscle
groups are inherently weaker despite ex-
ercise conditioning?
HCC Sociology Professor Sandra
Enders believes the trickle up theory
could explain the longevity of sagging.
In this theory the innovation is initiated
from the street and adopted from lower
income groups. It eventually fows to
upper-income groups from the bottom
up. Although Enders has a background in
retail, she has always believed fashion to
be an expression of the self, and reveals
traces of past, pain, anger, happiness, and
even loneliness. The image a person
chooses to portray publically comes from
their internal feelings and emotions, and
often his/her choice of clothing express-
es the emotion or psychological state of
mind whether it is serenity or turmoil,
she continues.
Sagging obviously is more than just a
fashion trend. The only argument that I
can offer for sagging is that it is a habit
that can easily be observed and easily bro-
ken.
Underwear on Display: Fashion or Foe?
Baggy pants continue to maintain their relevance in the world of fashion.
Photo By Cassandra Mendoza
With our unstable economy, job opportunites continue to decline.
Illustration By Cassandra Mendoza
JOBS
The Future
Want to read what people think of Horizons?
Find letters to the Editor on Perspective!
Visit www.hccperspective.blogspot.com
16
HORIZONS Arts & Entertainment
rts and
ntertainment
Popular TV Shows Among HCC Students
Who Dropped the Soap?
By lauren WeinSToCK
STaff WriTer
I
n the year 2011, television has seen
its greatest days. For decades, there
have been many great, inspiring, and
delightfully funny shows and programs.
Others have been corny, fake, and drama
flled Ior people to watch and be enter-
tained by.
Some say the population would go
completely insane without the entertain-
ment of T.V. at night when they arrive
home from a long stressful day of work
and or school. As I began to think about all
the channels, stations, shows, and sitcoms
that exist, I couldnt help but consider all
of the students on my campus, and what
television shows they might be watching,
and just why they were watching them?
Sitting in Beacon Hall cafeteria, I could
see my fellow college mates swarm in and
out of the cafe. Its eleven a.m., and a new
Iresh crowd oI students arrive Ior their frst
few classes of the day. The TV is on in the
corner of the room, and an early morning
news channel is running in the background
for those eating lunch.
I sit down with HCC students Elliot
GriIfn and Nick Riley to discuss what they
love to watch for their own personal enter-
tainment at night. Elliot says he loves to
watch Sports Center and UFC because he
is a very sporty person himself. Its a lot
of fun to come home from a day of school
and be able to watch a few hours of tele-
vision at night. Especially sports because
Im a very athletic person and watching
others be athletic as well entertains me. I
am also a huge Ian oI The OIfce a good
laugh is always in order for TV at night.
Elliot claims.
How about you, Nick? I ask, Do
you love the good dry humour of Steve
Carrol and the OIfce? Nick shakes his
head. I enjoy it sometimes, but for the
most part, I love to watch things like Storm
Chasers on the Discovery channel, and the
Weather channel. Nick added the reason
he loves to watch the Weather Channel is
because he hopes to someday pursue a ca-
reer as a meteorologist. My discoveries
so far have been that people usually watch
the things they are most interested in and
can relate to.
I go on with the rest of my day, and I
situate myself in the computer lab in La-
Iayette Hall. I then fnd a student work-
ing on a research paper and talking quite
loudly to her friend next to her about last
nights juicy episode of The Jersey Shore.
I cant help but join in on the conversa-
tion. How many hours of television do
you watch normally on a daily basis? I
ask Mallory. Usually about two to three
hours a day, she answers.
So since I heard you talking about Jer-
sey Shore, Im assuming you watch a lot
of MTV? I asked.
Well maybe not a whole lot, but I do
watch some of there main shows, Mal-
lory continued. Jersey Shore, Teen Mom,
True Life, and The Real World are my fa-
vorites for that channel. Mallory is also a
big fan of Bravos Real Housewives, and
Style Networks Jerseylicious. But her all
time favorite show is Keeping Up With
The Kardashians on E! Entertainment.
So pretty much, you like shows that
are juicy, scandalous, and over the top?
My question made Mallory giggle. I
suppose I really like the drama flled and
intensity of some of these shows. I know
that most of them are trash, but if thats
the case, those kinds of shows will never
be boring.
I think people are drawn to how ri-
diculous some of these shows are. People
watch Keeping up With The Kardashians
because of their luxurious lifestyle and the
crazy outbursts that happen in the family,
I added.
Yes, is like these people are getting
paid to gossip and over react and make big
deals about things that are not really big
deals. Its ridiculous, but for some other
reason, highly entertaining, Mallory re-
sponded.
Jeremy Beers, another HCC student on
the left side of me chips in on the conver-
sation and offers his opinion as well, I
watch a whole lot of TV at least like four
to fve hours a day. I asked Jeremy just
why her watches so much television. After
all, it isnt the healthiest thing to do be-
cause its not productive. Jeremy answers,
Just because I work hard throughout the
day, and when I come home its just a fun
hobby of mine.
Okay Mr. Beers, what are your top
shows of choice then? I questioned.
Jeremy responded with, American
Dad, Family Guy, and Man vs. Wild. Jer-
emy likes cartoons and funny shows that
do not require a lot of thinking or complex
thoughts.
That is what keeps me entertained,
Jeremy explains. Im a simple person and
I like to keep my TV simple as well.
By SamanTha delgado
STaff WriTer
E
ditors Note: Due to a formatting
error, the last few paragraphs of
this article were inadvertently de-
leted when it was published in Issue 1. As
a result, we are re-running this article in its
entirety in this issue.
After an astonishing 41 years of being
on air, the soap opera All My Children was
cancelled last month, while another ABC
soap One Life to Live, which has been on
for 45 years, will be cancelled in January
2012. The news came in April when ABC
execs made the announcement that the
network could no longer keep the shows
running due to declining ratings. All My
Children will be replaced by yet another
talk show called The Chew while One Life
to Live will be replaced by, The Revolu-
tion whose concept is still unknown. But
a new online network called The Online
Network, projected by Prospect Park, will
be picking up both soaps in the hopes to
bring viewers to their website.
All My Children aired its last episode
on September 23rd with a literal bang, and
leaving a frustrating cliffhanger but an
enticing incentive for viewers to continue
watching the show once it comes back on
the internet in January. According to an
article posted on the website, Fierce On-
line Video, actors have already been con-
tracted to start working on the soaps again.
But not all our favorites will be returning.
Susan Lucci, who played Erica Kane on
All My Children since it frst aired, is up-
set about the cancellation of the soap and
has so far refused a deal with Prospect
Park. She explains in her memoir All My
Life who she blames for the demise of the
long-time running soap.
Since the Soap Opera movement in the
1970s began, the stories have been geared
toward housewives who could use soaps
to forget about their own troubles for an
hour. Delilah Diaz, a student here at HCC,
says All My Children was a comfort for
her: Soap Opera was part of my peace. It
helped me cope with life, with the things
going on. Id just go in my room, close
my door, [and] watch my soaps. What-
evers going on out there, Im just into my
soaps.
Although extremely unrealistic at
times, most story lines hit close to our
hearts. They have also been known to be
the frst to explore sensitive and serious
topics such as the use of date rape drugs,
domestic violence, and tolerance of the
LGBT community.
Linda Bayusik, Director of Student
Activities, has been watching soap operas
since they frst began airing. She watched
All My Children exclusively and made
sure to plan her routine around the soap.
Back then I was a stay at home mom and
soaps were the thing to watch. Bayusik
continues, saying, '|I`m| Defnitely not
watching The Chew and Im not picking
up another soap. As for watching the
show online, Bayusik says, Not sure,
havent made up my mind yet. Watching
online isnt my thing. Well see what hap-
pens.
Thea Douglass, who works the front
desk at Beacon Hall, says she started
watching because her grandmother was
a faithful viewer. Every chance I got to
spend time with her, we were sittin in
the living room watching her soaps. On
hearing that the All My Children was can-
celled Thea says, Im surprised because
it seemed legendary; so many people
watched it from when it began.
In an article posted on Fox News, it ex-
plains why the soap generation is ending.
A key point made is how the peoples in-
terest in made up drama has been switched
to real drama as seen in the rise of reality
TV programming. A second point is how
the lead demographic, women between the
ages 18-49, are going to work. When soap
operas air, between 1:00-4:00, the major-
ity of women are still working or are in
school. The fact is in 1990, there were19
soaps, in 2000 10 left, and today only 4
exist. By the end of the decade (2020) it
could be possible that all soaps will be off
the air.
Gain Some
Perspective
Visit www.hccperspective.blogspot.com
17
HORIZONS Arts & Entertainment
Photographs of Montana Frontier by Richard
Buswell at the Housatonic Museum of Art
Richard Buswells photographs of
Montanas abandoned, overgrown home-
steads and artifacts of the Montana fron-
tier will be on exhibit at the Burt Chernow
Galleries, Housatonic Museum of Art.
Traces/Montanas Frontier Re-Visited will
be on view from Nov. 4, 2011 until Dec.
18, 2011.
Buswells photos are precisely realized
individual works, intended to be studied
and savored one at a time. For more than
35 years, Buswell has used the camera to
explore the visually profound and unique
historical complexion of his native state.
Julian Cox, Curator of Photography
at the High Museum of Art says, Beaten
and weathered facades become as a sub-
lime as the cloud dappled, never ending
Montana sky. In the world as seen through
Buswells eyes, history and archaeology
are inextricably meshed. History provides
the link between then and now, and ar-
chaeology the means to understand and
reconstruct the passage of time.
Buswells photography represents
thousands of hours and miles spent cross-
ing and re-crossing the state of Montana
a land mass as large as the British Isles,
but populated by less than a million peo-
ple. His photographic studies are intimate,
miniature landscapes, organized with the
same rigor and described with the same
sensitivity to light and space as he accords
the grand vista.
Cox continues, Richard Buswells
work occupies a special place - and pro-
vides a lasting reminder that the most
unique forms of beauty and invention can
often be found close to home. Buswells
work is in the permanent collections of
191 Museums both in this country and in
Europe. In 2007 the Montana Museum of
Art and Culture exhibited Traces/Mon-
tanas Frontier Re-visited the exhibit now
on view at the Housatonic Museum of Art
and a book with the same title has been
published.
The Housatonic Museum is open Mon-
day through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30
p.m., Thursday evenings until 7 p.m., Sat-
urday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Sunday
from noon to 4 p.m. The Museum is closed
when the college is closed. For further in-
formation contact 203-332-5052 or visit
www.housatonicmuseum.org.
Library Hours
Fall/Spring Semesters:
Summer Semester:
Library Webpage: www.hcc.commnet.edu/library or via mycommnet.edu
Reference:
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18
HORIZONS Arts & Entertainment
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Ballet Eloelle Presents: Men in Pink Tights
Illustration By Abelardo Pulido
By loVanda daVa BroWn
ediTor-in-Chief
O
n Sunday October 9, 2011, at
Klein Memorial Auditorium,
Theatrical Performance Director
Victor Trevino introduced a whole series
of drag-painted men in honor of the 20th
Anniversary of his male-based dance
company, Ballet Eloelle.
Men in Pink Tights
premiered free of charge, and welcomed a
diverse audience of all ages. It began at 7
p.m. on the aforementioned date.
The auditorium wasnt particularly
crowded. The room was dimly lit, and
contained a few glowing exit signs above
the standing doors with fve cylindrical-
shaped lights on each side.
There was a very mixed audience, and
the conversations varied as well.
Well, whatever anyone might say,
weve certainly got the best parking place
in town, said an older gentlemen to his
guest while sitting in an aisle-aligned seat.
There was evidence of Klein Memo-
rials history. The burnt orange seats held
a worn velvet graze, and emerald-au-
burn patterns stamped the carpets that
rested among the peeling green- ce-
mented foors.
There was a vacant display of
seats that rested on the hover-
ing level. The frst 14 rows
were flled and the rest oI
the seats held just a few
audience members.
Finally, at seven
minutes past seven,
the lights dimmed
to present dark-
ness, and the
red curtains
rose.



Thank you ladies and gentlemen,
and welcome to Klein Memorial Auditori-
um, said the host. The audience cheered
and praised him as he proceeded.
It is my privilege to introduce,
Men in Pink Tights!
The show began with a
blended sound of trumpets,
violins, and indistinct praises.
The frst dancer paraded the
stage and displayed a peacock-
designed cape that hung from
his neck.
The music
was dramatic
as an automaton
swana slowly
moved across
the stage and
followed
him.
A
s w a n
h u n t e r
emerged. There
was a firtatious
chemistry between the
swan hunter and the now
ballet-compelled swan. No
words were spoken, but the audi-
ence was provided with mere dramat-
ic gestures and complimenting melodies
to understand the comedic sense being
relayed.
Act I reached its demise when the lead-
ing swan was fnally captured and shot by
the hunter. The curtains fell to mask the
bowing performers.
That was great!
Theyre very good!
Audience members continued to praise
as they dissemble for intermission.
A blonde haired girl with a met-
al-laced smile commented on
the events that occurred
just moments before.
The performers
are doing very good,
says Claire Sweeney,
14, a student-volun-
teer for the produc-
tion.
Yeah, this is
a good turn-out,
says her 13y-ear-old
blonde haired co-work-
er, Chloe Proto. Theyre
very funny.
After a 15-minute inter-
mission, the lights dimmed
to introduce the next act.
Murmured chatter simmered to
an uneven silence, and the light
music began just a few seconds
shy of the curtains segregation.
A new dancer found the stage and
twirled and twisted throughout the al-
lotted space. The bass of the drums of-
Iered dramatic appeal to each landed fip,
and the audience cheered appreciatively.
As he made his way off stage, he is re-
placed by a group of men in pink tights.
They all performed harmoniously once
again while humorously batting their eyes
at the audience. A few audience members
were slightly more amused than the rest.
Awkward isolated claps plague the non-
chalant laughter.
Each dancer took his turn to provide
a solo performance and they all met spo-
radically throughout the act.
They met in a circled fashion towards
the end, and they all bowed shortly after.
Once again, the curtains closed, and inter-
mission was welcomed.
Wooh!
All right!
The audience persisted to chant, and
once again they disintegrated for intermis-
sion.
Act III marked the grand fnale. All
performers that were introduced before
made their way to oIIer a fnal and hope-
fully memorable performance.
They are all dressed in classic Span-
ish attire. The men wore red vests, white
shirts, and black tights, while the women
wore fowing skirts and roses that acces-
sorized their brunette wigs.
After a 20-minute span of tiptoed danc-
ing, the music heightened to let the audi-
ence know that the show would soon meet
its end. And of course, it did just that.
The show came to its expected demise,
and the audience delivered its ovation.
Men in Pink Tights was delivered
just in time to dethrone the sensational-
ized costumes worn each Halloween.
And just before the show was complete-
ly over, its host reminded all audience
members to consider a few important
things, Ladies and Gentlemen! Leave
a donation, drive home safely, and al-
ways remember your men in pink tights!
19
ports
HORIZONS Sports
By TJ malliCo
STaff WriTer
E
very year in the MLB there are
players who are given long-term
extensions based on their previ-
ous seasons of success. Some players in
recent memory would include Blue Jays
Jose Bautista (5 years/$65 million), Pi-
rates Jose Tabata (6 years/$37 million),
and Tampa Bays young ace Wade Davis (4
years/$12 million).
Some players are fortunate to receive
a lengthy, well-paid deal. However, not
all players get the huge deal they want.
Low market teams like the Padres nev-
er gave Adrian Gonzalez a long-term
deal because oI their fnancial situation
which results in a trade for multiple big
league ready prospects.
Here are some of the players that are
in line for an extension, or deserve an
extension for their respected ball clubs
throughout the league:
American League East:
1) Baltimore Orioles - Adam Jones -
Outfelder - AIter being one oI the major
trade chips that sent Erik Bedard to Se-
attle, Jones has spent four solid seasons
with the Orioles. Hes posted a career
average of .278 with over 20 home runs
the past two seasons, while also adding
career highs in RBIs and stolen bases
in 2011.
Extension Chances - 78 % - If
Baltimore wants to be a contend-
er sooner than later, they have to
lock-up Adam Jones. They gave
thriving shortstop J.J. Hardy a
3 year/$22 million extension,
which shows us they are arent
afraid to spend. Adam Jones
seems willing to work a contract
and I believe they get it done, ex-
pect a contract offer in the range
of 5 year/$35 million extension.
2) Boston Red Sox - Jacoby
Ellsbury - Outfelder - AIter
an injury-riddled 2010 season
where Ellsbury only played in
18 games, nobody really knew
what to expect from the young
center felder. Luckily Ior Red Sox Ians
hes been there most valuable player, ca-
reer highs in runs scored, hits, doubles,
homeruns, and rbis really contributed to
the teams. Ellsbury power has been the
surprising part, by hitting 32 home runs
this year, hes hit more than he has had
in all other seasons combined.
Extension Chances - 67% - The prob-
lem isnt Ellsburys play when it comes
to uncertainty about a new deal, its the
fnancial situation. With Boston signing
Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez
to $100 million plus contracts, over-
paying for John Lackey, and Clay
Buchholtz and Jon Lester extensions
worth more than $80 million, puts
Boston in a sticky situation. Nobody
is sure if the Sox have the money that
could get Jacoby to stay long term.
Clearly Ellsbury deserves a con-
tract extension, at 28 years old and
coming off his best offensive season,
Jacoby has the chance to command
a deal somewhere in the area of 5 5
years/$70 million +.
3) New York Yankees - Robin-
son Cano - Second Base - Robinson
Cano is the best second in baseball,
period. Hes averaged more than a
.300 batting average, 25 home runs,
100 runs scored, and 40 doubles the past
three seasons. And while hes due for
over $15 million next season, Canos 4
year/$30 million dollar extension is al-
most up.
Extension Chances - 95 % - If theres
any team that is going to lock up talent,
especially home-grown prospects like
Robinson Cano, the Yankees will get the
job done. With Canos impressive 7 year
career wheres he averaged over a .300
batting average, puts him in line for a
big deal. Look for Cano to command a
mind-blowing extension around the area
of 6 year/$140 million. If Derek Jeter
got over $200 million, Cano will easily
surpass 100 million.
4) New York Yankees - David Rob-
ertson - Relief Pitcher - Coming into the
2011 season, David Robertson was the
low innings relief pitcher who maybe
would come in a couple of big spots.
But, when big free agent signing Ra-
fael Soriano was expected to miss 3-4
months and Joba Chamberlin and Pedro
Feliciano out for the season, the Yankees
did not know where to turn. Robertson
made his frst all-star game this season
posting an ERA under 2.00 and more
than a strike out an inning for the 4th
consecutive year.
Extension Chances - 43 % - Look-
ing at Robertson`s frst Iour years in the
league, the numbers are actually very
good. A career ERA of 3.09 in 198.1 in-
nings pitched is a reliable stat to look at
for extension-worthy players. As good
Robertson is, it will be tough for a deal
to get done. The Yankees can ride his ar-
bitration where he wouldnt make more
than 3 million a season, but locking him
up now could make him Marianos re-
placement.
If Robertson ever does get a deal
done, a 4 year/$14 millioncontract seems
what the young fre baller could eventu-
ally come across.
5) Toronto Blue Jays - Brett Lawrie
- Third Base - Shaun Marcum getting
traded to the Brewers for Brett Lawrie
and other prospects seemed like a steal
for Milwaukee. Marcums adjusted eas-
ily to the National League posting a 3.54
ERA in 200.2 IP this year.
Brett Lawrie has been just as much a
steal for the Blue Jays. Lawrie was hit-
ting .353 with 18 home runs before call-
ing him up. In 171 at bats with the Blue
Jays Lawrie is batting .293 with 9 home
runs, 8 doubles, and 4 triples.
Extension Chances - 57 % (depending
on 2012 production) - Hes still early in
his career, but the Blue Jays are willing
to spend on talented players. Theyve
locked up Yunel Escober, Rickey
Romero, and Jose Bautista in recent
memory. If Lawrie can post a 2012
stat line of .285/24hr/87rbis/.338obp
then the Blue Jays giving him a 3 or
4 year deal at $15-20 million could be
possible.
6) Tampa Bay Rays - Matt Moore -
Pitcher - Matt Moore is the best young
pitching prospect in the game, period.
His last two years in double and triple-
a Moore threw over 200 strikeouts in
less than 160 innings pitched for each
season. Hes averaged an astonishing
12 strikeouts every 9 innings.
In his frst career start against the
Yankees Moore struck out 11 batters
in just 5 innings of work. He ended
up throwing 9.1 innings throughout the
last weeks of the regular season posting
a 2.89 ERA with 15 strikeouts.
Extension Chances - 65 % - Theres a
decent shot the Rays can get something
done. Theyve given young prospects
small extensions in the past, Wade Davis
(4 years/$12 million), James Sheilds (4
years/$11.5 million), and Evan Longo-
ria (6 years/$17.5 million). The Rays
Iront oIfce is very smart at recognizing
MLB stars early in their career and take
a business risk by handing out small, but
affordable deals. So far most of the con-
tracts have worked to the Rays advan-
tage and thats why I think theyll get a
deal done. An 5 year/$15 million exten-
sion is something the Rays can get done.
Moore has the potential to be as good
or even better than Clayton Kershaw.
And when you add potential Cy Young
Award Winners James Shields and Da-
vid Price, Rookie of the Year Canididate
Jeremy Hellickson, plus Wade Davis,
the Rays have a rotation thats almost as
good as the Phillies.
These extensions would be benefcial
for each team in the American League
Division. If the teams lock these play-
ers up they would be setting themselves
up for future playoff runs. All of these
players mentioned are in line for an ex-
tension and I believe at least 3 will get
done before the start of the 2012 season.
Possible Extensions for MLB Players
Jacobv Ellsburv with a beautiful diving catch to keep
the Red Sox alive.
Photo Courtesy of wwwthemagazinetimecom
Adam Jones with a towering 3 run shot to give the Orioles
the lead.
Photo Courtesy of prosportsblogingcom
MLB Trade Deadline Winners/Losers
By T.J. malliCo
E
very season July 31 comes around
for the baseball community and
that only means one thing: The
Trade Deadline. With July in the rearview
mirror and with all the players traded, lets
take a look at some of the players that have
made huge impacts as well as a few that
have underachieved.
Best Impacts:
1) Mariners Trade: Erik Bedard
to: Boston Red Sox - Position: Starting
Pitcher - Bedard pitched pretty well with
his stint in Boston. In fact, throughout
the whole year, Bedards ERA is 3.62 in
129.1 innings, which is his most pitched
since 2007 (the year he led the American
League in Strikeouts). From what John
Lackey has provided this season, and the
health issues surrounding Clay Buchholtz
and Dasuike Matsuzaka, at least a rotation
of Lester, Becket, and Bedard, is respect-
able.
2) Astros Trade: Michael Bourn to:
Atlanta Braves - Position: Center Field -
Micheal Bourn, throughout his career,
has always been known as a base stealer.
Hes swiped more than 40 bases the past 4
seasons. Hes never been know as a huge
threat with the bat, but Bourn was on a tear
this year. He fnished with a .294 battting
average and a career high in hits, doubles,
and at bats.
3) Athletics Trade: Brad Ziegler to:
Arizona Diamondbacks - Position: Relief
Pitcher -
When Brad Ziegler was traded off to
Arizona, a lot oI Iront oIfces around the
league were shaking their heads in awe.
Ziegler has been in the league since 2008
and has a remarkable ERA at 2.41. The
Athletics got solid mid-level prospects,
but the Diamondbacks got a steal in return,
in 20.2 innings for the D-backs Zieglers
posted a 1.74 ERA and a career high in
strikeouts per nine innings. With Ziegler
under team control for another couple of
seasons as well, everybodys got to be ask-
ing General Manager Billy Beane what his
motive was for trading such a talent.
4) Astros Trade: Hunter Pence to:
Philedelphia Phillies - Position - Center
Field -
When the Astros traded Hunter Pence
and Micheal Bourn, organizations around
20
Is Tigers Time Up?
By ChriS galli
STaff WriTer
I
f someone were to say that I made 90.5
million dollars last year and my career
was on a downhill slide, I would prob-
ably suspect that this someone might
have had one too many drinks
But when it comes to Tiger Woods,
this statement is very true. Eldrick Tont
Tiger Woods is one of the most fa-
mous sports athletes in the entire world,
and despite his many issues in the last
few years he is still the highest paid ath-
lete in the entire world.
Now by this time, everyone already
knows of his debacles, but that is not
what this story is about. Is there any
chance that Tiger could ever get back to
when he was in his prime? Prime is an
interesting term to use, especially when
it comes to golf.
For the more traditional sports, prime
is usually more associated age wise, be-
tween 25-30 years old, but for golf there
really is no age. In the top ten of the Of-
fcial World GolI Ranking the ages vary
from 22, being Rory Mcllroy ranked
third to Steve Stricker who is ranked
fourth at the age of 44, doubling Mcll-
roys age. Tiger Woods, as of October
17th, 2011 is ranked 55th in the world,
and even though he has been ranked 1st
in the world for an incredible 623 weeks;
he has not held that spot since October
30th, 2010.
So in only a year, he has dropped
54 places. When he decided to play in
recent tournaments, there have been
glimpses of the Tiger from the past, but
also glimpses of a young, inexperienced
golfer that is struggling to make simple
putts.
What is wrong with Tigers game? Is
it really all the injuries that he has suf-
Iered, or could it be that he lost conf-
dence in himself? Just like all profes-
sional sports, golf is just as much mental
as it is physical. As I do, most people in
the world expect more out of athletes al-
most as if they are inhuman and are not
allowed to make mistakes.
This brings up another question: if
Tiger does eventually plays up to the
caliber when he won 14 major champi-
onships, which is second all time among
male golfers trailing only the great Jack
Nicklaus with 18, will he ever be con-
sidered and thought about as he was just
a few short years ago? Will he be for-
given?
John Kozlowski, an HCC student and
avid golfer, said, Well, I dont know if
people are going to like him like they
used to, but I am not so sure if he can
ever get back to where he was. He also
believes that if he was ever going to get
back there he would have to get his
head right, and get back to just playing
golf.
This is just one students opin-
ion, and to be honest there is no an-
swer to these questions. It is not an
uncommon occurrence for someone
who was on the top of the world, to fall
so quickly. However, its the rising back
up that can be very diIfcult. For Tiger
Woods to do this, it is not something
that is going to happen overnight, and
it could take several years. At only 35
years old, physically, Tiger has a very
long time to keep playing golf. How-
ever, something he will have to show
is how long he has mentally before he
just packs up his bags, and puts his clubs
away for good.
Some would say that talking about Ti-
ger Woods retiring anytime soon is far-
fetched, but is it really? Through all of
his problems with his personal affairs
and the media, he has always shown
confdence. But when will this be too
much for Tiger?
There is no doubt in anyones mind
that Tiger is still one of the most recog-
nized athletes across the globe, but as
of lately, it has been more because of
his celebrity status than of his golf ac-
complishments. So for the time being,
we will all have to wait and see if Tiger
Woods will still be remembered as one
of the greatest golfers of all time.
Tiger Woods contemplates his fate.
Courtesty of golfsales365com/
HORIZONS Sports
the league clearly knew they were headed
to a re-building mode. They received top
prospects such as outfelders Jonathan
Singleton and Jordan Schafer, but with a
league worst 106 losses and a switch to the
American League after the new Collective
Bargining Agreement comes out, Houston
is looking at a serious decline.
Pence has been brilliant for the Phillies,
this season hes had career bests in aver-
age, runs batted in, and on base percentage
(.314/927rbi/.370obp). The question with
the Phillies was their offense and with
Pences contributions, plus the best pitch-
ing staff in baseball many thought they
were going to the World Series for sure.
Even with a surprising frst round exit, the
Phillies are going to be loaded next year.
Worst Impacts:
1) Dodgers Trade: Rafael Furcal to:
St. Louis Cardinals - Position: Shortstop -
The Cardi-
nals trading for
Furcal seemed
more like a vet-
eran staple move
rather than a
franchise im-
pacting deal like
Ubaldo Jimenez
getting shipped
to the Indians.
Either way its
put, however,
Furcals play-
ing terrible.
Furca had a ca-
reer worst .232
batting aver-
age and .298 on
base percentage.
Furcal is in the
third year of his
3year/30million
dollar contract, however ESPNs Jeremy
Craft reports that Furcal would like stay
with the team beyond the 2012 season.
2) Padres Trade: Ryan Ludwick to:
Pittsburgh Pirates - Outfelder -
At the July 31 deadline, the Pirates had
a surprising 54-51 record and were look-
ing to make serious acquisitions for a pos-
sible playoff run. The Astros asked way
too much for Hunter Pence and so did the
Cubs for Aramis Ramierez, canceling out
any possible reunion to his former team.
The Pirates traded for Ryan Ludwick,
expecting veteran leadership and a pres-
ence in the middle of their lineup. Even
for low-level prospects, the deal hasnt
gone smoothly. Ludwick has only 2
homeruns and 11 runs batted in over 100
plate appearences for the Pirates. To go
along with a .232 batting average, its safe
to say his transition to the east coast wasnt
so pleasant. Even with the low production
they recieved at the trade deadline, Pirates
were buyers at the deadline Ior the frst
time in over a decade, and that alone is a
big step in the right direction.
3) Cubs Trade: Kosuke Fukudome to:
Cleveland Indians - Position - Outfelder -
Rockies Trade: Ubaldo Jimenez
to: Cleveland Indians - Position - Starting
Pitcher -
The Indians trading for Kosuke Fuku-
dome and Ubaldo Jimenez showed execu-
tives around the league
they were gearing up for
a World Series run. Both
of these players have
shown in the past they
could both light up the
stat sheet. Fukudome
came over from Japan
3 years ago and fnished
sixth in the Rookie of
the Year voting in 2008.
Ubaldo Jimenez had a
record-breaking 2010
season with a 15-1 record
at the July All-Star break,
and a career high in in-
nings pitched and strike-
outs.
However, their transition from the Na-
tional to American League hasnt been
a breeze as some would have hoped.
Jimenez has an ERA of 5.10 since join-
ing the tribe, and has thrown his lowest
amount of innings since 2008, while giv-
ing up a career worst in earned runs and
home runs. Fukudome hasnt been much
more reliable. Even with having a career
high in hits this year, hes still hitting un-
der .270 with a low on base percentage.
The only way the Indians were going to
keep there hot streak going this season
depended heavily on Jimenez and Fuku-
dome. With poor production from both
players that required some of the Indians
best prospects, the Indians slipped to a sub
.500 record and are not going to the play-
offs.
Atlantas Key aquisition Micheal Bourne rounds third
and heads for home plate.
Photo Courtesy of wwwzimbiocom
Hunter Pence and teammate Rvan Howard celebrate
a much needed home-run.
Photo Courtesy of wwwphillysportslivecom